Dirty Dancing in the Twilight
by MyHubbyIsATwilightWidow
Summary: Bella goes on family vacation and meets Edward, the mysterious dance instructor at Newton's Lodge.  Twilight characters set in Dirty Dancing with a few twists.  AH, canon couples.  Epi-Part One is summary in EPOV.  Epi-Part Two is EPOV HEA.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just thought they'd be cute together.**

A/N - March 2012 - I finally decided to read this again and discovered I was actually embarrassed by the really simple sentence structure, among other things. With as picky as I am about which stories I read, I might have passed this one by if it wasn't my own! So I decided to edit, but don't feel like you need to re-read it. There are no major changes, just minor tweaks to make it flow better, I hope. I'm posting all chapters at the same time to avoid confusion. Thanks for reading!

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter 1

Green. More green. Green is blurring past the windows of Charlie's cruiser faster than I can focus on anything. Yeah, I said cruiser. Somehow, I managed to forget how embarrassing it is to ride in the Chief's cruiser, just like I forgot how green everything is here. My lapse in memory probably makes sense because I very purposefully haven't been to Forks in years. When I was growing up, I spent many summers in this constantly wet town, but for the last few years, I insisted Charlie vacation with me in California instead.

My mom, Renee, realized a little too late that being the wife of a small town Chief of Police in this sunless corner of Washington was not the life for her, so shortly after I was born, we left. The two of us moved around a lot before finally settling in Phoenix. Last year, my mom married Phil Dwyer, a minor league baseball player. Nobody knows where his career will take them, so when it was time for me to choose a college, I realized my dad's house in Forks was the only stable home I could rely on. Next fall, I'm going to major in English Lit at UDub, but I can't move into the dorms in Seattle until September, right after my 18th birthday, which is why I'm spending the summer in Forks.

My dad, Charlie, also got married last year – to Sue Clearwater, the widow of one of his good friends. I think they're trying to create a bonding opportunity, so I get to spend the next month sharing a room with Sue's daughter, Leah, who hates the world. Okay, in all fairness, I don't think she hates the entire world. Just the male half of it. Although, she doesn't seem too crazy about me either. On the drive in from the airport last night, Charlie may have casually mentioned that she was just dumped by Sam, her boyfriend of four years. Last I heard, they were planning on getting married, then he suddenly dumped her for her cousin. It seems like a pretty crappy situation, but I've never even had a boyfriend, so I can't really relate.

How would I have a boyfriend when boys don't even know I exist? I'm nothing special to look at. I'm 5'2" and weigh about 100 pounds. Luckily, I must have inherited great genes because I'm slender, even though I don't have an athletic bone in my body. You would think I'd have a great tan after living in Phoenix, but no such luck. My skin is so pale that I may actually blend in here in this sunless place. My long hair is boring brown. My eyes are boring brown. Like I said, nothing special.

My name is Bella Swan, but I am definitely not a 'beautiful swan.' I guess it would be weird for me to be named Plain Jane or Grace McClutz, but it would be more fitting. See, in addition to being plain, I have the added bonus of being ridiculously uncoordinated. I've spent my whole life just trying to blend in, but I'm constantly tripping over nothing and landing myself in the emergency room. Add to that the fact that I would much rather hide out in the library than go to a party. High school boys don't look for girlfriends in the library – or in the school nurse's office.

I still can't figure out how Alice and I became such good friends. We're complete opposites, but somehow we complement each other. She is really outgoing and could have been the center of all the social circles at school, but instead, she was always happy to hang out with me. We've been inseparable for years, so of course, we applied to the same colleges. Alice will be at UDub studying Fashion Design and Merchandising, but she has to spend the summer in Phoenix and won't be here until September.

Since graduation, I've realized I'm tired of watching from the sidelines while everyone else enjoys life. I'm sure it won't be easy, but I've decided to create a new image for myself in college. There will be no more shy Bella. Whenever I feel like hiding behind a book, I'm going to force myself to be brave and join in the fun. If I act confident, no one will realize that I don't belong there. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

The first phase of my new image will be to get Charlie to realize that I'm grown up now. I don't spend much time with my dad, so he still thinks of me as a baby. In fact, he calls me "Baby." I really hate that, but it seems no matter how often I correct him, he just doesn't hear me. He also still thinks I'm going to major in Criminal Justice and follow in his footsteps. I don't know how many times I've told him I want to be a writer, but he just doesn't hear me. It's going to be a long summer.

I snap out of my trip down memory lane when we round a curve in the road and I suddenly see the Lodge. Charlie was so excited to hear that I was coming to Forks for the summer that he booked an entire month at Newton's Lodge on Lake Pleasant. Charlie and Mr. Newton used to be fishing buddies before the Newtons moved up to Beaver – yep, Beaver – to open their Lodge. I know Charlie misses his old friend, but I really don't want to listen to fishing stories from before I was even born.

I sit up and take a good look out the window. This place is actually really pretty. There's a big, three-story wooden building in front of the shimmering lake and a lot of small cabins spreading up the hill. I can see pedal boats lined up at the dock.

As I climb out of the car, I hear a man with a megaphone talking about the available activities; dance lessons, softball, horseshoes, volleyball. I roll my eyes and tune Leah out when she starts whining to Sue about not bringing the right shoes. A furry reddish-brown puppy playing in the bushes draws my attention away from an older man who walks up and starts talking animatedly to Charlie.

"And this is my daughter, Baby." I cringe when I hear Charlie's introduction.

"Bella," I say, but it doesn't faze either one of them.

"Nice to meet you, Baby," says Mr. Newton. I just smile, bite my tongue, and head to the trunk to start unloading luggage while Mr. Newton tells Charlie about the former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader who gives the dance lessons.

"Hey, thanks a lot. You want a job here?" I look up to see a tall, blonde guy laughing at me. He's actually kind of cute in a laid back way. His hair is sort of long and shaggy, and he has a great smile. "I'm Jasper," he drawls.

DDitT

The girl giving dance lessons in the gazebo has those looks that make all other girls feel inadequate. You know the type. She has a curvy figure that looks like it belongs on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Her long blonde hair falls in waves past her shoulders and her bright blue eyes are framed by long, thick lashes. It's really not fair.

She gives a few dance instructions and I bite my lip to stop from laughing when she tells us to shake our maracas. Then she tells us to turn and "find the man of our dreams." I smile when I see Charlie across from me, but suddenly the gorgeous blonde is dancing with him, leaving me with a little old lady. What. The. Heck?

DDitT

As the sun is setting, I decide to explore. "I'm going up to the Lodge to look around," I shout to no one in particular as I wander off the porch of our cabin. I quickly realize that we must be one of the first families to arrive for the summer because it's pretty empty. In fact, when I walk into the Lodge, there's no one there but employees. I overhear Mr. Newton talking to a few waiters in the dining room and find myself eavesdropping when I realize what he's going on about. It's kind of funny, in a sick way.

"There are two kinds of help here. You waiters are all college boys. I went to Harvard and Yale to find you. Why did I do that? I shouldn't have to remind you this is a family place. You're here to keep the daughters happy. I want you to show all the daughters a good time, even the dogs," Mr. Newton says. Dogs. Hmmm. I wonder where that puppy is.

"Got that, guys?" says a smooth, velvety voice, stopping me just as I'm turning to leave. His voice sends tingles up my spine and goosebumps down my arms. Out of instinct, I back into the shadows in the hall.

Then I see _him, _the most beautiful guy I've ever seen. He has wild brown hair that looks like it would be a completely different color in the sunlight. He's wearing sunglasses that somehow define, rather than hide, his perfect features. His jaw is sharp, with a hint of stubble, and he has a devilish smirk on his face. He must be over six feet tall. He has an incredible body - not overly muscular, but definitely not skinny. Starting at the bottom, I see black boots, black jeans, and a white t-shirt under a black leather jacket. He looks like a modern day James Dean.

I shrink farther back against the wall, out of sight. I try to get my breathing under control and realize Mr. Newton is telling him to keep his hands off the daughters. Well, that's sure a switch from the last speech. Maybe I'm not the only one who senses something dangerous about this guy.

One of the waiters starts mouthing off to the gorgeous guy. They're arguing about something as they move closer and closer to me. I can't seem to make my feet leave, so I shake my hair forward like a curtain around my face. If I can't see him, he can't see me, right?

"You just put your pickle on everybody's plate, college boy, and leave the hard stuff to me," he smirks as he brushes past me. My heart is beating so loud that everyone in the room can probably hear it. I'm pretty sure my knees are wobbling.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just have a weakness for Robert Pattinson and Patrick Swayze.**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter Two

Mr. Newton smugly introduces our waiter, Royce, emphasizing that he's from Yale Law School. Charlie and Sue seem impressed. I notice that he's watching Leah as he moves around the dinner table filling water glasses. I roll my eyes as Charlie begins to tell Royce about how I'm going to make the world a safer place. How many times do I have to tell him I'm not studying Criminal Justice?

Almost before Charlie is done speaking, Royce asks what Leah is going to do.

"She's going to decorate it," I say matter-of-factly, knowing she wants to study interior design.

"She already does," he quietly compliments. I notice Leah smiling at him shyly. It appears there is a member of the male species that she just might be able to tolerate.

Mr. Newton comes back to our table to introduce his son, Mike. I can see Charlie sizing him up. He looks impressed. Personally, I think Mike seems a little too eager to please. Before I know it, we're on the dance floor and he's bragging about his exploits with some of the guys that work here. I tune him out and realize the music is really old-fashioned. Since I don't know the slightest thing about ballroom dancing, I'm stuck looking like an idiot. Mike doesn't seem to notice because he's not any better. Or it could just be the fact that he's completely self-absorbed.

Suddenly, the crowd separates to watch the gorgeous guy from the dining room and the beautiful blonde girl dancing. He's in a black tuxedo and looks even more handsome than before. I wouldn't have believed that was possible. Taking advantage of Mike's eagerness to talk, I try to casually ask about them. He curls his lip and tells me they're the 'dance people' who are here to keep the guests happy. He seems revolted by them, but I don't understand why. They move together flawlessly. Mike grumbles about how they're just showing off with each other instead of selling lessons. Of course, it's about money. I don't want lessons, but I would pay just to watch him dance – or breathe. Mr. Newton walks in and immediately catches their attention by dragging a finger across his neck in the universal sign for 'I'm going to kill you.' They quickly separate into the crowd to draw people onto the dance floor, but I still can't take my eyes off him.

Charlie and Sue dance over to us with huge smiles on their faces. I don't know how it happens, but Charlie volunteers me to help Mike with the entertainment for the night. Before I know it, I'm on stage being sawed in half by a ridiculous magician with a huge feather in his hat. It feels like there are a thousand people in the audience, all laughing at me. To make my embarrassment complete, some guy hands me a live chicken as I leave the stage. Thank goodness there's a cage for me to return it to right around the corner. I don't understand why they think that's funny.

I quickly head outside for some fresh air and see a sign that says "Staff Quarters. No Guests Please." It's quiet and dark and looks perfect for hiding from Mike. I hear music coming from a cabin up on the hill and notice Jasper trying to balance three watermelons in his arms. It's pretty hilarious. When he sees me, he tries to talk me into going back to the main Lodge before I get him in trouble, then he starts teasing me about dancing with Mike. As I turn to leave, he gives in. He leans in and asks if I can keep a secret. Once I nod, he hands me a watermelon and leads me up the stairs. I'm tempted to let him keep juggling them as payback for the teasing, but decide to help out. When we walk in, I can't believe my eyes. The room is packed with couples grinding against each other. I'm pretty sure they should be in a bedroom for that kind of activity. I know I never went to any school dances, but I don't think they danced like this in Phoenix.

As I make my way through the crowd, I get that familiar feeling of being completely out of place. My signature blush starts creeping up my cheeks. At least it's too dark for Jasper to notice, but he sees me gawking. "Can you imagine dancing like this on the main floor? Newton would close the place down first," he laughs.

I notice the beautiful blonde and gorgeous guy walk in and start dancing like everyone else. I zone out for a minute to think about how ridiculous it is that I refer to them that way in my head. Jasper catches me staring again. "That's my cousin, Edward Cullen. He got me the job here," he says proudly.

"They look great together," I manage to say. Edward. That's an unusual name. Of course, he's an unusual guy. At least I finally have a name to go with the face. It's way better than 'gorgeous guy.' Well, maybe not way better.

"Yeah, you'd think they were a couple, wouldn't you?"

"Aren't they?" I ask, shocked. They look perfect together. They look like they've been together a long time.

"No. Not since we were kids," Jasper shakes his head. That explains the familiarity between them.

The music changes and Edward's eyes lock onto mine as he's moving through the crowd. He stops in front of us and asks Jasper what I'm doing here, choosing not to speak to me even though I'm standing right here. "She's with me," Jasper says.

Normally, I would be infuriated to be spoken around like that, but my brain isn't functioning because I'm lost in his unusual green eyes. "I carried a watermelon," comes out of my mouth before I can stop myself. Oh. My. God. I wish the floor would open up and swallow me. I look down at the floor and let my hair fall forward to cover my face. I guess shy Bella is still my first reaction. Where is brave Bella when I need her?

Peeking through my curtain of hair, I see Edward dance back toward the beautiful blonde, but then he comes back and crooks his finger to get me to join him. There's a hint of his smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. I stand here like an idiot, just staring at him. Finally, Jasper nods, and I slowly follow him out into the crowd.

Edward lowers his hips and shows me how to move. I try to avoid looking right at him, too afraid that I'll be mesmerized by his dazzling eyes again. Being this close to him, I realize that he smells fantastic. When I look around in an effort to clear my head, he tells me to watch his eyes. He obviously doesn't realize how dazzling it is to be this close to him.

He grabs me around my waist and brings me right up against him. I've never moved like this. Ever. He flings my arms around his neck, and we start dancing. It's surprisingly easy with him leading. Nothing at all like dancing with Mike. Ew. I don't want to think about him right now. Any time I move my arms, Edward brings them back up to his neck. As the song winds down, he spins me out away from him. When I finally regain my balance and turn around, he's disappeared back into the crowd.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just want to play with my favorite characters.**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter Three

After lunch, Leah invites me to try on celebrity wigs with her. I'm shocked, but decide it can't hurt to try to get to know my new step-sister a little better. While we fiddle with our Jackie Kennedy and Cleopatra wigs, the beautiful blonde girl is helping Mrs. Laurent with a long red wig. It's really sweet to see the little old lady giggle and talk about how this is what she looked like when she was younger.

Royce walks over and speaks into Leah's ear, "Ask not what your waiter can do for you, but what you can do for your waiter." Then he brags about the car he's saving up for. Leah asks me to cover for her tonight while she sneaks off to the golf course. She jumps up and leaves before I can try to talk her out of it. So that's why she was being nice to me; she just needs me to cover for her. Figures.

"Ladies, you look very lovely," Edward says as he walks up to whisper something to the beautiful blonde. I whip the wig off my head, hoping he didn't notice it. I was right about his hair. In the sunlight, it has multiple shades of red and bronze and copper. Every time I see him, he gets more attractive.

After he leaves, I work up my nerve to talk to the intimidating blonde. "So you were really a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. I think you're a wonderful dancer." I'm sure she can hear the awe in my voice.

"Yeah. Well, my mother kicked me out when I was 16. I've been dancing every since. It's the only thing I ever wanted to do anyway," she snarks bitterly.

Without thinking, I tell her I envy her. She rolls her eyes and walks away. I'm not sure why my compliment offended her, but obviously trying to be outgoing is not working out for me. Books are so much simpler than people.

DDitT

After dinner, I notice Edward dancing with an older woman. She has long, strawberry blonde hair and an incredible figure. She flutters her long fake fingernails at Mr. Newton without interrupting her rubbing up against Edward. Her sequined dress couldn't be any tighter. Blinking in surprise, I realize I despise this woman for the simple fact that she's dancing with Edward. Looks like I have some jealousy issues to work on.

"That's Tanya Denali," Mr. Newton quietly tells Charlie. "One of the bungalow bunnies." I move closer so I can hear him explain that she stays all week at the Lodge, but her husband only comes for the weekends. The implications of that statement make my skin crawl.

While I'm trying not to get caught staring, or glaring, Mike interrupts their dance to ask Edward where Rosalie is. Without warning, he finishes speaking to Edward and turns to me, putting his arm over my shoulder and ushering me outside. It infuriates me that he doesn't even think he needs to ask me anymore. I obviously need to figure out a way to set him straight and let him know that I'm not interested in him at all. With the wistful look he gets whenever he smiles at me and the way he seems to follow me around, I find he's taking on the qualities of a golden retriever more than a boyfriend. I bite my lip to hold in a giggle when I see the brown puppy following us.

Mike and I walk out toward the lake and he starts whispering lame pickup lines about my hair blowing in the breeze. He reaches out to catch a strand that has come loose. I become more than a little uncomfortable as he tucks the lock behind my ear with an unearned sense of familiarity. Being around him is awkward, but because I'm still a coward, I just shrug away from him and try to casually mention that Charlie must be looking for me. Unfortunately, he doesn't take the hint and tells me my parents will be thrilled if they think I'm out with him because he's known as the catch of the county. He starts bragging about the time he stole a girl from the lifeguard because he owns two hotels. Does he honestly think that type of story would impress a girl? Silently wishing brave Bella would show up and tell him shy Bella isn't interested in him, I tune him out and lean down to play with the puppy, whose tongue is hanging out of his mouth as I rub behind his ears.

Suddenly, there is a commotion on the field below us and we look over in time to see Leah come out of the bushes straightening her shirt and indignantly telling Royce he owes her an apology. He laughs and says, "Go back to mommy and keep listening, Leah. Maybe you'll hear one in your dreams." I can't help but wonder what she expected to happen when she followed him out to the golf course. Of course, I realize the hypocrisy of that thought since I'm also out on the golf course with Mike, but he's about as intimidating as a wet rag.

Mike tries to distract me by asking if I'm hungry. I nod and follow him into the dark kitchen. While he's busy offering me brownies and rice pudding and sweet pickles, I hear a noise coming from the corner. Peeking around, I see the beautiful blonde girl huddled on the floor crying. Instinctively, I know I need to get Mike out of here before he sees her. "Mike, I'd better go check on Leah," I tell him, leading him out.

As soon as I can, I ditch Mike and run to look for Jasper, finding him in the gazebo watching the dancers. I tell him what I saw, and he grabs Edward off the dance floor, leaving the strawberry blonde looking less than happy at the interruption. The three of us run back toward the kitchen, but Edward keeps looking over his shoulder at me. He doesn't seem too happy that I'm here until Jasper tells him it's in case Mike comes back, which seems to appease him.

"Rosalie just doesn't think," Edward complains.

"What's wrong? What's the matter with her?" I ask.

I'm shocked when Jasper tells me she's pregnant. That certainly wasn't what I expected to hear. What's he going to do about it?" I say without thinking.

"What's he going to do about it? Oh, it's mine, right? Right away, you think it's mine," Edward snarls at me.

"But I thought…" He walks away before I can finish.

Once inside, Edward picks Rosalie up and starts comforting her. "It's okay. Edward's here. I'm never going to let anything happen to you," he says while she sobs into his shirt. He picks her up and carries her out, murmuring soothing words to her. It's a completely different side to him than the snarling anger aimed at me outside.

Jasper and I follow them all the way the employee cabin. When Edward tells her she should have come to him for help in the first place, she cries and says, "It's hopeless."

"Don't say that. There's got to be a way to work it out," I interrupt.

"Baby. Is that your name? You know what, Baby? You don't know shit about my problems," Rosalie sneers at me. I know we're not friends, but I don't understand why she seems to dislike me. Every time I've spoken to her, she has been extremely rude.

"I told her," Jasper says quietly.

"Jesus, Jasper! Let's just keep pretending like this isn't dangerous for all of us. Now, she's going to run and tell her little management boyfriend and we'll all get fired. Why not skywrite it that Rosalie got knocked up by Royce the creep?" she shouts at him.

My mouth falls open at her statement. Jasper quickly tells me that Rosalie asked Royce for $250 for a doctor appointment, but he told her he didn't have any money. She hasn't been to a doctor yet and needs to make an appointment to make sure everything is okay.

"If it's Royce, I know he has money," I say, remembering the car he was bragging about.

"Go back to your playpen, Baby," Rosalie says rudely.

"I'm not going to tell anybody," I say quietly on my way out.

DDitT

I toss and turn half the night wondering if maybe Royce just didn't understand what Rosalie was telling him. I know he was a jerk to Leah, but I can't believe he won't help take care of his baby. I'm sure it's a misunderstanding, so I get up early and head to the dining room to talk to him.

"Just where do you get off telling me what's right?" Royce asks.

"You can't just leave her."

"I didn't blow a summer hauling toasted bagels just to bail out some little chick that probably slept with every guy in the place," Royce tells me. "Some people count, some people don't." He offers me some dog-eared book and tells me to be sure to read his notes before returning it to him. I have no idea how a book is supposed to explain the way he's turning his back on Rosalie, but with his careless attitude, I know Royce will continue to use and discard women.

Whether I'm close to my new step-sister or not, I can't let this idiot mess with her life. She's already not thinking clearly because of what happened with Sam. I lean in close to him, "You make me sick. Stay away from me. Stay away from my sister or I'll have you fired." With a surprise appearance by brave Bella, I punctuate that threat by pouring water down his pants.

Just because Royce isn't going to step up, doesn't mean Rosalie doesn't still need money. I hate to watch people suffer and really wish I could help her somehow. I have some money saved up for living expenses at college, but I don't have any of it with me. The only person I can think to ask is Charlie. I'll be able to pay him back when we get back to Forks.

I find Charlie and Sue on the golf course, which is the last place I ever expected to see my dad. Playing the role of innocent, darling daughter, I remind him how he has always taught me that I should help people whenever I can, then I tell him someone is in trouble and ask him to loan me $250.

"Are you all right, Baby? Are you in some kind of trouble?" he asks. I quickly assure him it's not me, but I tell him that I just can't explain it. Luckily, Charlie is a man of few words. I've never given him a reason not to trust me, so he tells me he'll give me the money when we get back to the cabin. Part of me feels guilty for keeping a secret from him, but I don't want to explain an unwed pregnancy to Charlie. That could lead to 'the sex talk,' and that is not something I'm willing to endure. Plus, I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be hanging out with the employees and I don't want to get them into trouble.

When I have the $250 from Charlie, I go back to the employee cabin. Everyone is dancing and grinding again like this is how they always spend their free time. I make my way through the crowd, trying not to touch anyone, until I find Edward and Rosalie sitting on a couch and hand the money to Rosalie.

Her eyes get huge and her mouth falls open. She assumes I got the money from Royce and can't believe I was able to get him to help. "No. You were right about him," I tell her, hoping she'll just leave it at that.

A strange look flashes across her face before she looks at Edward and mumbles, "Is this kid for real?"

"Yeah. Takes a real saint to ask daddy," Edward answers.

"Thanks, Baby. I don't know how I'll be able to pay you back," Rosalie says, smiling at me for the first time. Suddenly, her smile disappears and she breaks into tears. "I can't finish my contract at The Port Angeles."

My confusion must be evident. Jasper tells me that Rosalie and Edward also perform at The Port Angeles Resort. Unfortunately, they have a clause against performing while pregnant, so Rosalie won't be able to finish the season there, which means they won't get paid.

It's a proven fact that I never know when to keep my mouth shut, but I can't believe how bad luck just keeps following her. "Can't someone else fill in?" I lamely offer.

"No, Miss Fix-It. Somebody else can't fill in. Everybody works here," Edward says. "What? Do you want to do it?"

"It's not a bad idea," Jasper pipes in.

"It was a joke, Jasper," Edward argues, shaking his head.

"She can move," Jasper says.

"Dancing? Not such a good idea for me," I start backpedaling. This is a really, really bad idea. I don't even want to try to explain the safety hazards that dancing presents for me. My silent wondering of the location of the nearest hospital is interrupted when Edward starts protesting as much as I am. What is his problem?

Somehow, despite both of our repeated objections, Rosalie and Jasper decide that I'll fill in for her at their final show. You have got to be kidding me.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just want to dance with a shirtless RPattz.**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter Four

To prepare for the show, Edward and I practice in the dance studio whenever he has spare time. Not surprisingly, he's really impatient with me. Of course, I do step on his toes quite a few times and manage to smack myself in the nose at least once. Some days, Rosalie is there to help with my practice, which is a nice buffer from Edward's moodiness, but it's weird to dance with her while he watches.

As the days go on, Edward becomes friendlier, while I become painfully aware of my growing crush on him. I know he doesn't have any interest in me, which makes perfect sense. Seriously. Guys like him do not fall for girls like me. He belongs with someone gorgeous like Rosalie. I could never be enough to keep his attention.

It's a difficult day for me when Edward takes his shirt off to practice. How am I supposed to focus on the steps when I'm trying so hard not to stare at his defined abs and chest? I can tell he's frustrated with me, but at least he doesn't know why I'm having so much trouble today. To make it worse, I can't stop giggling every time he runs his fingers down my arm and down the side of my breast. I'm supposed to lean back into him and wrap my arm around his neck, but I just can't hold still. Not only does it tickle, but it just feels so overwhelmingly intimate. I can't help but notice how perfectly I fit into his arms with him being so much taller than me.

Every day, I get a little bit better. I'm reviewing the steps constantly in my mind and find myself dancing when I should be walking. Luckily, Charlie doesn't catch me, but I can't help but blush every time I see other people staring at me like I'm crazy. The extra practice is helping though. Considering my difficulties with just walking across flat surfaces, I'm doing a pretty good job of dancing – in heels, no less!

The show is only two days away and we still haven't practiced the lifts. This worries me, and I think Edward is starting to get nervous, too. Whenever I ask about the lifts, he just keeps saying, "We'll learn those later."

When I lose my balance and knock him over, he starts shouting at me, "Are you trying to kill me? You've got to concentrate. Is that your idea of fun?"

"Oh, yeah. Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. We're supposed to do the show in two days. You won't show me lifts. I'm not sure of turns. I'm doing all this to save your ass when what I really want to do is drop you on it!" I shout back.

I don't think he was expecting me to stand up to him. He stops and stares at me for a second. "Let's get out of here," he smiles.

"Your mood swings are giving me whiplash," I tell him as he places his hand on my lower back and leads me out into the pouring rain to his shiny silver car. Turns out Edward locked his keys in his car, so he breaks the side window and hurries me in.

"You're wild," I laugh as we race down the street. Edward drives really fast, but for some reason, it doesn't scare me. Like so many things, it seems to be effortless to him. He barely even looks at the road.

Edward drives up to Beaver Lake to get away from anyone from the Lodge who might recognize us. The rain has stopped as he turns down a dirt road and drives through the thick trees for a few minutes. I can see light coming through the trees ahead and suddenly it opens up to a beautiful meadow where we park.

Edward walks through the white and purple wildflowers and onto a large tree that has fallen across a stream. He must be ten feet off the ground. While I sit and watch him balance, I ask him where he learned to dance. He arches his perfect eyebrow and beckons me to stand with him while he tells me about a guy who was offering a job as a dance instructor. There's no doubt I'm going to fall, but Edward holds my hands to steady me. We start moving forward and backward slowly. Pretty soon, we're acting silly and dancing all around and I almost forget we're balancing on a log.

We go back into the meadow to practice lifts in the tall grass. "You will hurt me if you don't trust me," Edward tells me. I do trust him, but we still keep falling down. He has to be getting sore, which is probably why he mentions that the best place to practice lifts is in the water. Before I know it, he strips off his shirt and dives in. Leaving my clothes on, I follow him in. We practice lifts over and over until I finally start to feel confident that I can do this.

As the sun starts to set, we're doing more splashing and laughing than practicing. Edward goes out so deep that I have to hold onto his shoulders to steady myself. "Twilight. The end of another day," he smiles wistfully, then he gets a mischievous sparkle in his eye. I can see from his smirk that he's planning something. So quickly that I miss the movement, he slings me onto his back and wraps my arms around his neck. "You'd better hold on tight, spider monkey," he says as he dives under and takes me with him.

When we come up, the last of the sunlight reflects off the water on Edward's pale skin. I bite my lip and decide not to tell him he's sparkling like tiny diamonds are embedded in his skin. There's no point ruining the fun we're having by insulting his masculinity.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just miss Patrick Swayze.**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter Five

Finally, it's the day of the show. Rosalie and I are walking into the studio to check my dress when we see little old Mrs. Laurent drop her purse. We rush over to help her scoop everything off the ground. She must collect wallets because several fell out. She thanks us for helping her and says, "Oh, call me Victoria, dear," as her husband comes out behind her.

Rosalie is pinning her dress to fit me while I'm going over the final details out loud. She stops and stares at me. "Thanks, Baby. I just want you to know that I don't sleep around, whatever Royce told you. I thought that he loved me. I thought it was something special."

I don't know how to respond to that, so I awkwardly ask her if the dress is ready. I don't fill it out nearly as well as she does. "I'm scared. I'm so scared, Baby," she cries. Her normally tough exterior is gone, leaving only a vulnerable young girl. I hug her and tell her she'll be fine, hoping I'm right. I can't imagine being in her position.

Leaving the studio, I rush to find Leah and ask her to cover for me by saying I went to bed with a headache. She doesn't want to, but I've covered for her several times already. She knows she owes me.

Edward drives us to The Port Angeles Resort for our show. The stage lights are bright, the crowd feels huge, and my movements are pretty stiff at first, but I manage not to mess up too badly. Edward whispers instructions whenever he can. At the last second, I chicken out of doing the lift, but Edward keeps going and the crowd doesn't seem to notice. As we're taking our final bow, I see Mr. and Mrs. Laurent in the audience. I start to panic because they could tell someone I was here. Edward sees what I'm staring at, but manages to stay calm and lead me off the stage.

While Edward is driving back to the Lodge, I change into my jeans in the back seat. I'm pretty sure Edward is peeking at me in the rearview mirror. We're both excitedly talking about how well the show went, and he tells me I did a good job, which makes me feel really good. I climb back up front to sit next to him, but something has changed between us. He keeps looking over at me from under his lashes, but we're not talking now.

Edward parks and comes around to my door, grabs my hand and helps me out. I notice he doesn't let go of my hand after I climb out. Before I have time to think too much about it, Jasper runs over telling us that Rosalie is in her room and won't open the door. Jasper thinks she had a fight with Royce. We rush toward her room where a bunch of employees are standing around, not knowing what to do. Edward gets her door open, and I see Rosalie doubled over in pain. There's blood on her bed.

I don't even think about it. I just run for my dad because I know he can help. I wake him up, and he follows me back to Rosalie's cabin. Charlie clears everyone out with a few gruff words. When he sees Rosalie, he grabs his cell phone and calls for an ambulance, then he looks around and asks who is responsible for Rosalie.

"I am. Please, is she…" Edward answers. Charlie glances up and focuses on our joined hands. A dark look comes over his face before he sends us out onto the porch to wait.

When the ambulance arrives, Charlie talks to one of the paramedics. This guy has more muscles than I've ever seen, but they're offset by his boyish curly hair and dimples. The paramedics quickly put Rosalie in the back and drive away.

As Charlie approaches us, Edward reaches out to shake his hand. Charlie stops to glare at his hand, then brushes past him rudely. I obediently follow Charlie off the porch, listening to how disappointed he is in me. "I don't want you to have anything to do with any of those people," he orders as he continues toward our cabin without even looking at me.

I stop and stare after the back of his head. I have never willfully disobeyed my father, but he's out of line this time. He jumped to conclusions without even giving Edward a chance to explain.

Charlie told me to stay away from Edward, but I can't. Just thinking about it feels like there's a hole in my chest. I wrap my arms around myself to stop the ache. Can my feelings for him really be this deep after such a short time?

Gathering all my brave Bella courage, I knock on Edward's door, which he opens wearing just his jeans. Neither one of us seem to know what to say as I step inside. He nervously tells me, "Yeah. So this is my room. You've probably got a great room." He starts to turn off his iPod, but I ask him to leave it on.

"I'm sorry about the way my father treated you," I begin.

"Your father was great the way he took care of Rosalie," he says.

"It's really me it has to do with," I try to explain. Charlie is angry that I kept a secret from him and he's made the wrong assumptions about Edward.

"No. He saved her. I'm not a hero. I mean, I could never do anything like that. The reason people treat me like I'm nothing is because I am nothing."

"That's not true. You, you're everything," I admit. How can he not know how wonderful he is?

"You don't understand the way it is for somebody like me. Last month, I'm eating jujubes to keep alive. This month, women are stuffing diamonds in my pockets. I'm balancing on shit, and quick as that I could be down there again," he tells me.

"No. That's not the way it is. It doesn't have to be that way," I plead. I know he could do anything he set his mind to.

"I've never known anybody like you. You look at the world, and you think you can make it better. Somebody is lost, you find them. Somebody is bleeding…"

"And I go get my daddy. That's really brave," I mutter.

"You don't see yourself clearly. That took a lot of guts to go to him. You're not scared of anything."

It's time to tell him how I feel. It's time to be brave instead of watching life pass me by. I can already feel my blush forming. "Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of who I am. I'm scared that I want to stay with you much more than I should. Most of all, I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you," I say, tears threatening.

Silence falls as we stare at each other. He hasn't responded, but he hasn't kicked me out either. I stand up and ask him to dance with me, placing my hands on his chest and moving them up to wind my fingers through his hair. We start slowly moving to the music, then he grabs behind my knee and wraps my leg around his hip. Summoning all my courage, I place kisses on his chest and continue around to his back. As I come back to stand in front of him, he raises my arms above my head and pulls my shirt off. He pulls me tight against him, and we start dancing again.

"Open your eyes, Baby," he whispers. I open them and he is right there. His face is so close to mine. His beauty stuns my mind. His perfect lips press very softly against mine.

Kissing him is unlike anything I ever dreamed of.


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just have an unhealthy obsession with Edward Cullen.**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter Six

It's quiet at our breakfast table. Charlie isn't talking to me – or even looking at me. Of course, Sue and Leah notice the tension, but they don't know what it's about. They keep looking back and forth between us, waiting to see who will break the silence.

Mike comes by the table to ask if Leah and I are going to be in the end of the season show, but Charlie tells him we're leaving tomorrow. Leah is shocked. "But, Charlie, I was going to sing in the show," she whines. Suspicious now, Sue asks Charlie why he wants to leave early.

"It was just an idea. We can stay." I can't believe he caves.

Charlie abruptly gets up and walks away with Leah following him, seemingly excited that he's talking to her instead of me.

As I'm staring after Charlie's retreating form, I overhear a waitress say Rosalie's back from the hospital, so I quickly finish my breakfast to go check on her. She looks a lot better and opens up to me way more than I expected. "Royce and I had a really bad argument last night. He was screaming at me and accused me of lying about the baby being his." The doctors don't know whether it was the stress of their argument or some other unknown cause, but she had a miscarriage.

I don't know what else to do besides hug her and let her cry while she gets it all out. "I know when we first met, I told you dancing was all I ever wanted to do. I just said that because I didn't know you. The truth is, since I was a little girl, all I've wanted to do is be a mother. I have a friend, Vera, who's a few years older than me. She had a baby really young – she was only 17. The day I saw her little boy was the first time I'd ever felt truly jealous of anyone else in my entire life. Then I met Royce. He's so handsome and smart. He seemed to be everything I'd dreamed of. I wasn't jealous of Vera anymore because I could picture my own children."

The room grows quiet while I try to absorb everything Rosalie has told me. Royce really broke her heart.

Suddenly, the door opens and Edward walks in. "How you doing?"

"I'm fine. The doctors say I can still have children," Rosalie smiles. "Hey, how did the show go?" she asks.

We both mumble a little about the missed lift, then fall into an awkward silence. Her eyes move back and forth between us, and I bite my bottom lip, trying to look innocent. She obviously senses something has changed between us. Unable to take the scrutiny, I go outside to wait for Edward. The door stays open a few inches, and I can hear their conversation.

"Edward, what are you doing?" Rosalie asks. "You know I like Baby. She's done so much for me. But you know you can't get involved with a guest.You have a choice, and you're choosing wrong. You're going to lose your job," she warns him.

"I know what I'm doing, Rosalie," he answers.

"You listen to me. You've got to stop it now," she warns him.

"I can't stop. So I'm just going to do what I want and let the chips fall where they may. As long as I'm going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly," he says cryptically.

I don't have time to figure out what that means before Edward steps out onto the porch. We stare at each other for a second, then he pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a deep breath.

"Look, I've got to run. I've got a lesson in three minutes," he tells me.

"Oh, sure. You've got to go," I mutter, trying to hold back the tears.

"I'll see you," he says as he walks away.

It can't end like this. I call his name, and he turns around and smiles. His signature lopsided grin lets me know everything will be okay.

DDitT

It's raining again. I'm stuck in our cabin, playing a game of chess with Charlie, which isn't any fun with him not speaking to me.

"I'm so sick of this rain," Leah complains. "Remind me not to take my honeymoon at Niagara Falls."

I can't believe she's this clueless. I can't listen to any more of her mindless chatter. Without saying a word, I grab my rain coat and start to leave. Leah makes some snide comment and Charlie just glares at me, but I don't stop to worry about it. I round the corner and run straight to Edward's cabin.

Lying in his arms feels too good to be true. For me, there will never be another that can possibly compare to Edward. He knows he's my first lover, but I don't know anything about his past. "Have you had many women?" I ask.

"What?" he gasps.

So I repeat, "Have you _had_ many women?" I add the emphasis on 'had' so there's no mistaking my intent.

"Baby, come on." He clearly doesn't want to talk about it. This must be bad.

"Tell me. I want to know." I should know better than to ask a question I probably don't want to know the answer to.

"No. No." He stands up and pulls on his jeans. "You've got to understand what it's like, Baby. Suddenly I'm up here, and these women are throwing themselves at me. They smell so good. They take really good care of themselves. And they're so rich, I think they must know about everything," he tries to explain. "They're slipping their room keys in my hand two or three times a day – different women. So here I think I'm scoring big. For a while, I'm thinking, 'Hey, they wouldn't be doing this if they didn't care about me,' right?"

A little piece of my heart breaks off. I say, "That's all right. I understand. You were just using them. That's all." I need to change subject.

"No. No. That's not it. That's the thing, Baby. It wasn't like that. They were using me," he says. He looks so vulnerable. These horrible women have managed to make this beautiful man feel unworthy.

I lean up and kiss him. He lays me back and continues to kiss me with those perfect lips. Suddenly, he sits up and says, "What's your real name, Baby?"

"Isabella, but I like to be called Bella."

"That's a beautiful name."

DDitT

Just as I'm about to fall asleep, Leah blurts out, "I've decided to go all the way with Royce. He doesn't even know."

I quickly try to tell her what a huge mistake she's making, but I don't know how to warn her away from him without telling Rosalie's secrets. "No, Leah. Not with someone like him. It's wrong this way. It should be with someone you love." Saying this out loud makes me realize that's exactly how I feel about Edward. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it that way.

Leah misunderstands my concern. "You don't care about me. You're just upset that you're not Daddy's Little Girl any more. Charlie listens to me now."

DDitT

Rosalie and I are becoming good friends. When we talk, it's easy to see how much she cares for Edward. She just wants him to be happy.

There is a knock at her door, and Rosalie introduces me to Emmett, one of the paramedics who came to help her. It's hard not to recognize his muscles and dimples and curly hair. He thanks me for taking good care of Rosalie. Suddenly he picks me up and squeezes me in a bear hug, making me feel like a rag doll.

Rosalie sheepishly tells me that Emmett has been coming by to check on her. Today, they're going out on a lunch date. I'm thrilled that things seem to be working out for her.

DDitT

Edward has some spare time this afternoon, so we're dancing in the studio. He keeps trying to grind, but I tease him and go back to ballroom dancing. When I remind him of how strict he was when he was teaching me, he throws himself to the floor and groans. We're having a great time playing along to the lyrics, and he looks so cute playing his air guitar. We're crawling across the floor toward each other for a kiss, when we hear someone running up the stairs.

We jump apart just as Mike walks in and looks around suspiciously. "Baby, taking dance lessons? I could teach you." The music snaps off and I can't believe Mike doesn't notice Edward's tense jaw and flared nostrils.

"I'm in charge of the music for the end of the season show," Mike says. Edward gets excited and starts telling him his ideas, but Mike shuts him down immediately. "Whoa. Whoa. You're way over your head here," Mike says condescendingly. Edward has no choice but to agree to Mike's boring plans when he threatens to find someone else for next year.

When Mike finally leaves, I can see that our fun afternoon is over.

We leave the studio and go for a walk, but I can barely keep up with Edward. I hate to see him this upset. "That little wimp. He wouldn't know a new idea if it hit him in the Pechanga. He wants some new ideas. I could have told him some new ideas," he says.

"Well, why did you let him talk to you that way?"

"What do you mean? And fight the boss man?" he questions.

"Yeah. Tell him your ideas. He's a person like everyone else," I say.

"Look, I know these people, Baby. They're rich and they're mean. They won't listen to me."

"Well, then why not fight harder? We can make him listen," I tell him.

"Let's you and I not push poor Mike any further this week. We don't want him to snap," Edward says through clenched teeth. He seems to enjoy the idea of snapping Mike.

"Mike-Schmike," I mutter, but I know it's time to drop it.

"I need this job lined up for next summer," he quietly admits.

I feel so guilty for pushing him to stand up to Mike. I hadn't stopped to think what a sheltered life I've led. Edward's on his own. He can't risk his job like that.

"My mom called today. She wanted to know if I've changed my mind yet – if I'm ready to come home and follow in my dad's footsteps," he says.

"Oh, what is that?"

"Medical school. I should feel lucky my mom even calls. My dad won't even speak to me because I've disgraced him," Edward tells me. It's the first time we've talked about his parents.

Before I can respond, we see Charlie walk out a door with his arms around Royce and Leah. Without thinking, I duck. Edward tenses and says, "Fight harder. I don't see you fighting so hard, Baby. I don't see you running up to Daddy telling him I'm your guy."

"I will. With my father, it's complicated. I will tell him," I try to explain.

"I don't believe you, Baby. I don't think that you ever had any intention of telling him – ever," Edward says. I can see the hurt in his eyes before he stalks away from me.

DDitT

I can't find Edward anywhere. Finally, I knock on Rosalie's door. When she answers, I ask her if she's seen him. Without a word, she pushes her door open to reveal him sitting there looking incredibly sad. I don't deserve this man. He steps out onto the porch with me and crosses his arms in front of his chest. I step behind him, putting my arms around him and kissing his shoulder, then I whisper, "I'm sorry."

Royce walks by right then. Seeing us, he stupidly says, "Well, it looks like I picked the wrong sister. That's okay, Baby. I went slumming, too."

Edward jumps the rail and has Royce on the ground before I can even absorb his rude comment. Rosalie runs out to see what's happening. People start gathering around, watching Edward punch Royce repeatedly. Edward must realize the problems this could cause because he suddenly shoves Royce away, saying, "Get out of here. You're not worth it." Then he comes over and looks up at me on the porch. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to him. Everyone quickly goes back to what they were doing, leaving us alone.

"I feel very protective of you. Please distract me so I don't go after him," Edward says, tightening his arms around me.

DDitT

Almost everyone is helping with preparations for the end of the season show. My contribution is to paint a palm tree for a stage prop. Edward is sitting near me reviewing music. He looks so handsome in his black slacks and gray button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his strong forearms.

While I'm admiring him, Tanya slinks over and leans in close to his ear. "This is our last night together. I've something worked out for us," she whispers loudly.

Edward glances over to see if I was watching, but I look away before he sees me, turning my attention to Leah, who is singing some ridiculous song about howling at the moon. Has she no pride?

Edward walks over to Tanya's husband to ask him a question about the show. He hands Edward something and says, "Hey, kid. You know, I'm playing cards all weekend. I've got an all night game tonight. Why don't you give my wife some extra dance lessons?"

I can't believe my eyes and ears. This man is actually pimping for his wife. I can see Edward's jaw clench as his eyes drop to the wad of cash in his hand.

Edward glances at me over his shoulder, then turns back and says, "I'm sorry, Mr. Denali, but I'm booked up for the whole weekend, you know, with the show and everything. So I won't have time for anything else." Tanya's eyes get bigger and bigger as Edward continues, "I don't think it'd be fair to take the money."

I bite my lip to stop my grin and quickly turn back to my palm tree before Tanya can see that I noticed her glaring at Edward's back as he walked away.

Leah startles me when she leans down and whispers right in my ear, "I've decided tonight's the night with Royce. He doesn't even know yet." She shakes her head and walks away when I half-heartedly try to talk her out of it again.

DDitT

Edward's arms are wrapped tight around me as he quietly tells me about his dream. "Last night, I dreamed we were walking along. We met your father. He put his arm around me, just like he did with Royce."

"It will happen, Edward. I just need time. He's upset with me for not telling him why I was borrowing the money. I'll make him understand that we're a package deal," I tell him.

"I'm glad to hear that because you're becoming like an addiction to me. You're my personal brand of heroin. I can't get enough of you," he murmurs.

DDitT

Edward walks me out of his cabin just before sunrise. I don't want to leave him, but I need to get back to my cabin before Charlie wakes up, which could be any minute. We stand on his porch and kiss, delaying the inevitable.

Too bad we're too wrapped up in each other to notice we're being watched.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just want to rush through this part because I know how painful New Moon is.**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter Seven

Mike and Mr. Newton are eating breakfast with us today. I tune Mike out and listen to Mr. Newton complain to Charlie about finding out that one of his employees is a thief.

Mike breaks in and continues for him in an overly dramatic voice, "Demetri Denali's wallet was stolen when he was playing poker last night. It was in his jacket, hanging on the back of his chair. He had it at 1:30. And when he checked again at quarter of four, it was missing." He hangs on the last words like he's retelling a great mystery. Leah actually laughs at him.

"Tanya thinks she remembers this dancer kid, Edward, walking by," Mr. Newton explains. He doesn't stop talking as my head whips toward him and I lean back in my chair. "So we asked him if he has an alibi for last night. He says he was alone in his room… reading."

"There are no books in Edward's room," Mike smirks. He wags his eyebrows and nods sarcastically. He obviously doesn't know what he's talking about because Edward has shelves full of books in his room. Wait. Why am I thinking about that? It's not important right now. Focus, Bella!

I lean over to Mike and grab his arm, "There's been a mistake. I know Edward didn't do it."

Mike completely ignores me and continues, "There have been similar thefts at The Port Angeles Resort, and it's happened here before. Three other wallets."

I try to interrupt him again, but he coldly says, "Stay out of it, Baby."

Mr. Newton walks away to talk to a waiter. I scoot over into his empty chair next to my dad and try again. "Dad, I need your help." Charlie gives me a weird look, but I keep going. "I know Edward didn't take Demetri's wallet. I know."

"How do you know?" Charlie asks.

"I can't tell you. Please trust me, Dad."

I can see the exact moment when he recognizes the familiarity of that statement and shuts me out. He looks away and shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Baby. I can't." This conversation is like déjà vu of when I asked Charlie to loan me money. No wonder he doesn't believe me now. He's still angry because he believes I gave Rosalie money to help take care of Edward's child.

Everything is moving in slow motion. I feel almost like I'm underwater. They're all talking about Edward, and no one is listening to me. My world is crumbling around me, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do to stop it.

When Mr. Newton comes back, I look up at him. "Mr. Newton, look. Maybe Edward didn't do it. Anyone could have taken it," I plead. I've got to find some way to convince them. Something clicks in my mind. "Maybe it was – you know, it could have been that little old couple, the Laurents. I saw her with a couple of wallets."

"James and Victoria?" Mr. Newton looks at me like I've grown another head.

"Baby, you don't go around accusing innocent people!" Charlie yells.

I try to explain, but Mr. Newton completely ignores me. "I've got an eyewitness, and the kid has no alibi. Come on, Mike. You can learn what it's like to fire an employee."

Time is up. I have to do something. I don't even stop to think about what I'm doing. "No. Mr. Newton, wait a minute. I know Edward didn't take the wallet. I know he didn't take it because he was in his room all night. And the reason I know is because I was with him," I confess.

DDitT

Charlie has been sitting silently on the deck staring out at the lake for hours. He won't say anything to me, but there are a lot of things I need to say to him. "I told you I was telling the truth. I'm sorry for misleading you about the money. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I know you think I lied to you, but you lied to me, too. You always told me I should help people, but you meant people like you. You told me I could make the world a better place, but you meant I had to do it your way. I'm not proud of myself, but I'm in this family, too. You can't keep giving me the silent treatment. There are a lot of things about me that aren't what you thought. But if you love me, you have to love all the things about me. And I love you. I'm sorry I let you down. I'm so sorry, Dad, but you let me down, too." I'm crying by the time I finish, and walk away without waiting to see if he is going to respond.

Trying to gather my emotions, I take a walk around the lake and wander into the boat house. I must have fallen asleep on a hammock because the next thing I know, Edward is waking me up. "I have been looking for you all over," he says. "Charlie decided to investigate the Laurents. He fingerprinted their water glasses. He found out they were wanted in Arizona and Florida, and they made a fortune here this summer."

I can't contain my grin. Edward isn't in trouble. Charlie believed me. They know he's not a thief. "So then it's all right. I knew it would work out. I knew they'd have to apologize," I say, stepping forward to hug him.

My smile falls as I realize Edward doesn't look happy. He backs away from me and says, "I'm out, Baby."

"They fired you anyway because of me," I realize.

"And if I leave quietly, I'll get my summer bonus," he tells me.

I'm so angry I can't see straight. I pace around the boat house agonizing over how unfair life really is. "So I did it for nothing. I hurt my family. You lost your job anyway. I did it for nothing!" I shout.

"No. No. Not for nothing, Baby. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before," Edward says emphatically.

"You were right, Edward. You can't win no matter what you do," I shrug.

"You listen to me. I don't want to hear that from you. You can."

"I used to think so," I tell him. I feel so useless. Life is definitely not as simple as I had thought.

DDitT

About three things I am absolutely positive. First, Edward is leaving. Second, there is a part of him – and I don't know how dominant that part is – that believes I'm better off without him. And third, I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

We've exchanged phone numbers, but no promises. Edward knows I'm going to UDub, but he doesn't know where he's going now. With no job to come back to next summer, he can go absolutely anywhere now. The possibilities are endless, but right now, it just feels hopeless.

We walk out to his car to say goodbye. I fist his shirt and lower my forehead into his chest. I know if I look into his eyes, I'll start crying. "I can't imagine being here without you even one day."

"Oh, just think. You'll have more time for horseshoes and croquet. Maybe they'll saw you in seven pieces now," he tries to joke. I should have known someone would have told him about that.

"We surprised everybody," I laugh half-heartedly.

"Yes. We did. I'll never be sorry," he whispers, leaning his forehead against mine.

"Neither will I." I can hear my voice cracking. I was never lonely before because I didn't realize what I was missing. It feels like part of me will never be recovered if he leaves.

"I'm coming with you," I tell him suddenly.

"I don't want you to come with me. Baby, we've talked about this. I don't even know where I'm going. I want you to experience college without any interference from me. Promise me something. Don't do anything reckless," he says.

I can't silence the insecure part of me that says I never had what it took to keep him, that it was only a matter of time before he realized he could do better. No matter how valid his reasons, all I hear is that he doesn't want me to come with him.

He kisses me sweetly, holding my face with both hands, and says, "I'll see you."

I watch him drive away without knowing if I'll ever see him again.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just found a better use for Jacob.**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter Eight

I lose count of how many days I've spent sitting on the patio, staring blankly out at the lake. People are swimming, boating, sunbathing. I know they're there, but I don't really see them. Life goes on around me, but I have no desire to join it. I barely eat. I barely sleep. If I do fall asleep, I wake up screaming.

"That's it, Baby. I'm sending you back to your mom's for the summer," Charlie finally snaps.

"I'm not leaving," I argue.

"I know you can't see that you're better off without him, but that doesn't even matter because the simple fact is he's not coming back. It's been days. No calls, no contact. You can't keep waiting for him," Charlie says. It's true. I haven't heard from him. Of course, I haven't tried to contact him either. That's because the insecure voice in my head keeps telling me that if he really loves me, he'll call me. If I call him, I might just seem desperate.

I know it's unrealistic, but somehow being here, where our memories were made, makes Edward still seem real. When I leave here, when I go someplace that holds no memories of him, I'm afraid it will seem as if it was all just a dream. I can't let Charlie send me away – not yet. "I'll try harder," I beg him.

DDitT

It's not that I'm happy, far from it, but I'm trying harder to hide my misery from Charlie. Instead of sitting on the porch, I go for walks around the far side of the lake where no one can see me sitting on the shore, crying and trying to physically hold myself together. Somehow, the brown puppy becomes my constant companion. He's growing really fast. I think he's doubled in size since I've been here. He's going to be huge soon.

"I can't keep calling you Brown Puppy," I coo to him once we're far enough away that I'm sure no one else can hear. "I think I'll call you Jacob." I have no idea where that name came from, but it fits. He seems to like it – he wags his fluffy tail.

Walks with Jacob are the only thing I look forward to. He lights up my dark day like a ray of sunshine. The only time I smile is when I'm watching him play and goof off. He likes to climb up onto a really tall rock and jump into the lake. One day, I decide to follow him, but when I reach the top, I hear Edward's voice echoing in my head, "You promised – nothing stupid." I can't jump. I can't even breathe.

DDitT

Jacob and I stay out later than usual. That might be because we got a little lost in the woods, but I'll never admit it. Everyone must be up at the Lodge having dinner because the cabin is pitch dark. I feel along the wall for the switch and finally get the lights on. The ear-splitting scream I let out can probably be heard up at the Lodge. After a moment, my heartbeat slows and my scream fades out when I realize it's just Alice standing in front of me.

"What are you doing here?" I gasp, ready to pummel her.

"Charlie called me because he's worried about you, so my mom let me come up early," she chirps.

We climb into bed and spend most of the night talking about everything that has been going on with me. I'm so happy to have my best friend here with me. It doesn't take away the pain of missing Edward, but it takes my mind off of him for a little while.

"He's unbelievably gorgeous, but he's even more unbelievable _behind_ the face," I try to explain to her.

"Everything is going to work out. I just know it," she says, tapping her temple and smirking at me. She knows I hate it when she pretends to be psychic. She doesn't know I'm a little freaked out by how often she's right. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I cross my fingers that she's right this time.

At some point, Leah joins us. She's a little nicer to me now because we have something in common – a broken heart.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you tried to warn me about Royce," Leah says. She tells me that the night she went to his room, when she opened the door, she saw him with Tanya.

The three of us talk more about that night and realize that Tanya must have been leaving Royce's room when she saw me leaving Edward's. Getting Edward fired was her revenge for him turning down her 'extra lessons.'

It's hard for me to explain how I messed things up with Charlie. It's a horrible feeling to know he doesn't trust me. Leah hasn't heard the whole story about the night Charlie helped Rosalie, so I fill her in.

"There's something I think you should know about Edward," Leah tells me nervously. I wave my hand for her to continue. "He came here to talk to Charlie the day he was leaving. I realize now that he was trying to get you out of trouble. He told Charlie what a great person you are, but Charlie just started yelling at him about getting a girl pregnant and leaving her for you. I didn't understand what they were talking about, so I didn't think anything of it."

My tears are flowing unchecked by the time she finishes. Edward was still trying to protect me, even after what I said got him fired. How can I make Charlie see the truth about Edward when he doesn't believe a word I say?

DDitT

Considering how late we stayed up, I wake up _way_ too early, but I can't sleep anymore because Jacob is on the porch whining. I feel guilty because now that Alice is here, I probably won't be taking him for as many long walks.

After breakfast, I take Alice to meet Rosalie. The hours fly by as we talk and laugh like we've been friends forever. While I've been in a trance, Rosalie has been on several dates with Emmett and it sounds like they're getting really serious. He seems to be just what she needs.

For a little while, I manage to forget about the hole in my heart. Leaning back, I look at the two girls in front of me and happily realize the three of us are going to be great friends.

Jasper knocks on Rosalie's door and sticks his head inside to say hi. I can't help but notice that Alice's eyes glaze over immediately. What's really funny is that Jasper has the exact same dreamy look on his face. It's almost like Rosalie and I aren't even here. It's apparent almost immediately that we just witnessed love at first sight.

I know I should be happy that both of my friends seem to have found love, but instead, it just reminds me that I've lost it.

DDitT

Alice talks me into going to the spa with her even though she knows it's really not my thing. I finally agree to a facial, manicure and pedicure, but Alice still pouts because I won't get a massage with her until I bluntly explain that I'm not stripping down for anybody. By the time we stroll back into the cabin, I'm completely relaxed – until I hear my phone beep with a voicemail. I sprint across the room to grab it, taking a half-second to sigh in relief that I didn't fall and break something while I key in my password.

"Hi, Bella," I collapse onto the bed at the sound of his voice. "I wanted to let you know I haven't found a job yet. I still don't know where I'm going. And I know you'll be leaving soon. I miss you. Bye."

After carrying my phone with me every second of every day for weeks, I missed his call. I know I _shouldn't_ blame Alice, but she must sense that I _want_ to because she quickly disappears to go find Jasper.

The rest of the afternoon is spent lying on my bed, silent tears streaming down my cheeks, listening to his message over and over until my battery dies.


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just don't want all of you to skip through this until you get to the part where Edward comes back. Yeah, **_**I know**_** we all did that the first time.**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Chapter Nine

Vacation is over, and whether I like it or not, I will have to leave this place soon. I have absolutely no desire to watch the end of the season show. Then again, I have no desire to do much of anything. But I'll do it for Alice. She's excited because Jasper is in charge of the music. Well, he's in charge of playing the music Mike selected.

Leah offers to do my hair, but I'm just not in the mood. They probably wouldn't let me in wearing sweats and a t-shirt, so I let Alice choose a dress for me. Plus, I know how much she loves to play dress up and she always picks something beautiful. I actually feel a little better once I'm wearing the pretty dress, so I let her put on a tiny bit of make-up.

I choose the seat in the corner, farthest from the stage. Tanya Denali is sitting alone in the front row with an empty seat beside her. I hate her for what she did to Edward, but I find myself _almost_ feeling sorry for her. Even though she's married, I would bet she's as lonely as I am.

Alice knows I'm happy to have her here, but she also knows I'm really not in the mood for girl time tonight. It's just too depressing because Edward should be up on that stage right now. She sits with me for a few minutes and then goes up behind the curtain with Jasper. I see her peek out at me every few minutes – probably to make sure I haven't gone back to our room to sulk.

I'm almost startled to realize that I haven't really heard a single song even though the show seems to be almost over. Leah joins all the other performers on stage to sing the finale. These are not the hired dancers and entertainers. These are campers who think they have talent. If I wasn't so sad, I would be laughing.

Royce walks by, and Charlie gets up to talk to him. I'm not really paying attention until I hear Royce say, "I wanted to thank you for your help with the Rosalie situation. I guess we've all gotten into messes like these."

"What?" Charlie asks. Even without being able to see his face, I know Charlie is putting the pieces together in his head. I can practically sense the moment he admits it to himself.

Royce must sense it too because his face drops and he starts stammering, "I thought Baby told you. Look, I'm not sure. I mean, Rosalie said so, but, you know, with girls like that, they're liable to pin it on any guy around."

Charlie says something to him then comes back to the table. He has a distant, distressed look in his eyes. He's not used to misreading people, and he's been doing it a lot lately.

Suddenly, Edward is standing in front of me. I blink to make sure it's not my imagination, but I know it's not because I actually feel alive for the first time in weeks. I'm so happy and surprised to see him that I can barely breathe, but it occurs to me that it's the first time he's said my real name. It sounds even more beautiful coming out of his mouth.

"Nobody puts Bella in a corner," he says, reaching for my hand. "Come on."

The instant our fingers touch, I feel whole. It's like there had never been any hole in my chest. I'm perfect – not healed, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place. All is right in the world.

"I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore," he whispers in my ear.

"Then don't," I answer.

Edward leads me up onto the stage and hands his iPod to Jasper. Alice beams at us, then taps her temple and gives me a knowing look.

Everyone falls silent as Edward walks out onto the stage. "Sorry about the disruption, folks, but I always do the last dance of the season. This year, somebody told me not to. So I'm going to do my kind of dancing with a great partner, who is not only a terrific dancer, but somebody who has taught me that there are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them. Somebody who's taught me about the kind of person I want to be. Miss Bella Swan."

Instantly, I recognize the song Edward chose, and I love it. It was playing in his room the first night I was there. We've danced to it before in the studio, but never in front of anyone. Of course, we haven't danced in front of anyone since our performance at The Port Angeles Resort.

The crowd whistles and cheers as the lights dim and Edward steps up behind me and wraps my arm around his neck. He kisses my nose, and then we start dancing. I'm nervous at first, but once I look into his beautiful green eyes, everyone else just fades away. It's like we're back in the studio, just the two of us. It feels so right to be back in his arms.

Without even realizing it, we both stop dancing for a moment. We're pressed together, breathing hard, staring into each other's eyes. Cheering and clapping breaks us out of our daze. Edward spins me around and pulls me back into his arms, and I throw my head back and laugh. Yes, this is where I belong.

I can hear Alice cheering above the noise of the crowd. Even though she never met Edward, she knows this is exactly what I needed. That little psychic even chose the perfect swirly dancing dress for me tonight.

Edward places another kiss on my nose, whispers "Breathe, Bella," then jumps off the stage. All the other dancers start moving up the aisle with him, and it's obvious they've practiced these moves. Edward stops a few feet from the stage and stares at me. I see the question in his eyes and nod slightly, so two guys lift me down to the aisle. Edward smiles at me encouragingly, and I run to him. I trust him completely. Our first lift is flawless.

Soon, everyone is dancing around us. Employees are dancing with campers, friends are dancing with each other. People are shoving chairs out of the way and having a blast. If I wasn't so focused on Edward, I would see that Tanya Denali is the only one who doesn't look happy.

As Edward and I are walking through the crowd to go get some fresh air, Charlie stops us and looks at Edward. "I know you weren't the one who got Rosalie in trouble."

Edward doesn't know where this is leading. "Yeah..."

"When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong," Charlie admits. That's as close to an apology as Charlie will ever get. Then he looks at me wistfully and says, "You looked wonderful out there, Bella." I hug him. I've never loved my dad more than at that moment.

When Edward and I start dancing again, he looks into my eyes like he's seeing right into my soul and sings along quietly, "Now, I've had the time of my life. I've never felt this way before. Yes, I swear it's the truth. And I owe it all to you."


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: I do now own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just want to play in Edward's head for a little while…**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Epilogue – Part One

**EPOV**

Three months ago, if someone would have told me where I would be right now, I would have laughed in their face. I can't believe how much my life has changed in such a short time.

It all started the day after my 20th birthday…

My silver Volvo – the one big item I was able to buy before Dad cut off access to my trust fund – is fast and fun to drive. I have plenty of time to daydream as I'm driving south on the I-5 toward Beaver, Washington. I'm heading back to Newton's Lodge for my third summer as a dance instructor. It's not a great job, but it pays the bills and leaves me plenty of time to work on my music. Plus, I get to work with Rosalie, who's been like a sister to me since we were five. This year I was even able to get a job for Jasper, my cousin. It's going to be a great summer hanging out with my two favorite people.

The hard part about working at Newton's is that it's seasonal. Finding a way to make ends meet during the off-season isn't easy. I worked odd jobs in Alaska this winter, but I need to find something better next year because that was a whole new level of cold that I don't want to deal with again.

I stretch my legs while I'm on the ferry and then hop on the 101 for the last leg of my trip. The Lodge looks the same as I pull in and park. I take a detour through the dining room to grab a quick snack in the kitchen. Coming in through the employee's entrance, I hear Old Man Newton giving the waiters the annual pep talk about kissing up to the spoiled little rich girls. I can't resist harassing them, so I smirk and say, "Got that, guys?" I should have kept my mouth shut. Old Man Newton starts in on me about how I'm not supposed to touch the girls. Yeah. Yeah. As if I want anything to do with these debutantes. I leave my sunglasses on so he can't see me rolling my eyes and keep walking toward the kitchen.

Then I see her. The most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She has long brown hair that falls in waves down her back. Her doe-shaped eyes are dark – probably brown, but I can't be sure from here. Her skin looks so soft I want to rub myself against it. She probably barely tops five feet. She's tiny and petite and looks like she would fit perfectly under my arm, snuggled up against me. Somehow I manage to keep walking while I slowly work my way up from her strappy little sandals to her tight jeans to the t-shirt that fits her just right.

I'm glad I still have the sunglasses on. Hopefully she can't tell I'm checking her out, but I think I'm busted 'cause she backs into the shadows. I watch her try to hide behind a curtain of her hair as that idiot Royce starts mouthing off to me. I can't help but smirk at her little game. A few choice words shut Royce up before I walk right toward her and purposefully rub my arm against her shoulder on my way by. I think my knees are knocking. I've got to get out of here.

DDitT

Before I know it, the afternoon is over, but I'm still not done unpacking. I'm glad to have the same cabin as last year, so the bookshelves are still here to hold all of my books and CDs. I still can't believe I could fit so much into the trunk of the Volvo. Did I mention I love that car?

I hurry to get cleaned up and head up to the Lodge for the evening. This tuxedo makes my skin crawl, but Old Man Newton insists. When I find Rosalie, we start dancing, and we're having a blast showing off all the moves we've practiced over the years. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Little Newton dancing with my brown-eyed girl. I can't afford to let her distract me. I need this job.

Old Man Newton gives us the evil eye, and Rosalie and I separate to begin lessons. At least being busy makes the night go by pretty quickly. Around ten o'clock, Jasper sneaks in to ask how much longer we'll be. Most of the employees are hanging out in the staff room already. He's laughing, telling me some story about 'Little Newton's new girlfriend' being in the magician act. He has no idea calling her that makes my teeth grind and my fists clench.

Rosalie and I finally finish and head up to the staff room. Now, we can really dance. I'm moving through the crowd, saying hi to everyone I haven't seen in a year, when I see her standing with Jasper. I know I should stay away, but I have to find out what she's doing here, so I make my way over to him. I'm immediately so lost in her eyes that I don't hear what she says, but it must have been embarrassing because she's turning all kinds of red and trying to hide behind her hair again. I figure I'll let her off the hook and go back to dance with Rosalie.

One of my favorite songs comes on, and I really want to dance with my brown-eyed girl. I move back over to her and bring her out into the crowd with me. It takes her a little while, but she gets the hang of it. As soon as she does, I regret my decision. What was I thinking? Dancing with this girl is incredible. I've got to stay away from her before I do something crazy and lose my job.

No girl has ever affected me like this before. Even after she's gone, I can't stop thinking about her. I wonder what her name is.

DDitT

No private lessons have been scheduled yet, so the afternoon is free to play my guitar and work on my newest song. I wander outside for a break and notice my girl trying on wigs over at Rosalie's table. Yeah, I had to shorten that name. She quickly takes the wig off as soon as I start talking. How cute is that?

That idiot Royce has the nerve to flirt with my girl's sister right in front of Rosalie. What a tool. As I'm walking away, I hear her sister call her Baby. I wonder if that's her real name.

DDitT

Man, I swear I can't catch a break. Tanya Denali is here again this year. She's one of the women I got together with last year before I finally got smart and realized they were just using me as their cabana boy. Don't get me wrong – I like girls, especially beautiful ones, but I'm looking for more than casual hook-ups.

I have no choice but to dance with Tanya. Old Man Newton doesn't want me to touch the daughters, but he doesn't mind encouraging these cougars. How did I ever find her attractive? She has a great body; I just don't want her rubbing it all over me. When comparing her to my girl, it's easy to see that her beauty is completely fake and definitely only skin deep.

Little Newton interrupts our dance to ask me where Rosalie is, then he goes outside, dragging my girl with him. The only thing making me happy right now is the fact that she looked irritated with the way he escorted her outside.

Several songs play, and I'm still dancing with Tanya when I see my girl run over to Jasper and tell him something, looking at me over her shoulder.

Jasper cuts in and tells me Rosalie's crying. I'm happy to get away from Tanya, but can't believe Rosalie is making a scene. I really don't want my girl to find out Rose is pregnant, so I'm trying to get her to go back to the Lodge when she ticks me off by assuming I'm the dad. I have to walk away from her before I say anything too harsh.

My only focus is getting Rose back to the staff room. Since we're practically family, I remind her she needs to let me help her. But then she tells me she needs $250 for her doctor appointment. I don't have that kind of money right now. Of course, Royce won't man up. For the thousandth time, I wish Rose would let me pound some sense into him. I'm so focused Rosalie's problem that I don't even notice my girl leave.

DDitT

My girl hasn't been around all day today. Jasper mentions that Rose really ripped into her last night while I was scheming about pounding Royce. Rosalie can be pretty harsh until she gets to know somebody.

Suddenly, my girl is standing there putting a wad of money in Rose's hand. I can't believe how excited I am to see her, which only reminds me how dangerous this is. I really need to make her stay away from me. When Rose asks if she's for real, I decide to chase her off once and for all, even if it kills me. "Yeah. Takes a saint to ask daddy." I take a guess at where she got the money, but must have hit it on the head because she looks really ticked.

Her face quickly changes to confusion when Jasper explains about our gig at The Port Angeles Resort. "Can't someone else fill in?" she asks innocently.

My girl seems to want to help everyone, but I really don't want her help with this. I can't dance with her again. I wouldn't be able to stop myself. Jasper and Rose start talking about how she can move – I shouldn't have taught her those moves the other night. Obviously I have my own reasons for not wanting to do it, but I find myself curious when my girl starts trying to get out of it. Why doesn't she want to dance with me?

Before I know it, Jasper and Rose have decided Baby will fill in for Rosalie.

DDitT

Baby and I practice almost every day. I try so hard to keep my distance from her, but she's wearing me down. Without spending much time with her before, I hadn't realized she's really clumsy. It's kind of cute. I'm pretty sure everything about her is adorable. Yeah, I'm also pretty sure I'm turning into a girl.

Each day, I let my guard down and flirt with her a little more, but she doesn't even seem to notice. I wonder if she really does like Little Newton. It's time to find out, so I take my shirt off as I hear her coming up the stairs to the studio. She looks at me and bites her bottom lip as her face turns bright red. That's a good sign, right?

We need to practice the intro today. I stand behind Baby and wrap her arm around my neck. Every time I begin to run my hand down her arm toward her waist, she jerks away from me and giggles. I lose count of how many times we try this. If I wasn't so selfishly refusing to lose my opportunity to cop a feel, I would give up on this move.

My girl is getting pretty good. It's time to show her the lift, but I'm not sure I'm ready to have her that close to me. I'm distracted by my warring emotions, so I snap at her when she throws her arm back and almost knocks me over. What I don't expect is for her to snap right back at me. It's pretty clear that we both need a change of scenery.

Of all days to lock the keys in my car, I had to choose the day when the tension between us is so thick I can almost taste it. There's no doubt I'm going to regret breaking the window on my precious Volvo, but we really need to get out of here.

I can't risk anybody from the Lodge seeing me hanging out with a guest, so I drive up to Beaver Lake. I head to a favorite spot of mine, a secluded meadow, to show her lifts, but first we work on balance on a fallen tree. It surprises me how easy it is to just hang out with Baby. Once we're in the meadow, she's doing pretty well with the lifts, but she keeps knocking me down because she hesitates at the last second. My butt is starting to get sore, so I tell her we need to practice in the water. I am _not_ making this up just because she's wearing a white shirt.

We practice until Baby seems to be comfortable with lifts. I move deeper and deeper into the lake each time and pretty soon, she's hanging onto me. We're having a blast and I can't resist getting closer to her, so I toss her on my back and wrap her arms around my neck to dunk her. Some girls would be furious, but she doesn't really act like most girls, so I wait to see how she's going to react. I get a rush when she wraps her legs around my waist instead of pushing me away. When we surface, I hear her giggling about something. She has a cute giggle. I. Am. Such. A. Girl.

DDitT

Baby comes out of the studio dressed for our show. She looks great in Rosalie's dress. I don't even remember anything about the drive to Port Angeles. I'm just happy to have her in my car.

I have to whisper to her a few times when she seems to be confused about the steps, but other than skipping the lift, she does a really good job. As we're taking our final bows, I can feel her tense at my side and realize she spotted an old couple from the Lodge in the audience. I grab her hand and pull her off stage before she can panic.

While Baby's changing in the back seat, I can't help but sneak a few peeks in the rearview mirror. "You did good," I tell her. This girl just does something to me. I need to stop fighting it, but I haven't had a girlfriend in years. I don't even remember how to begin. Suddenly, I'm nervous. She climbs into the front seat, and I glance at her a couple of times, but I don't know what to say. She seems to have something on her mind too, so we're both quiet for the rest of the drive.

I help Baby out of the car and take a deep breath. Before I can open my mouth to ask her to go for a walk with me, Jasper runs up and tells us Rosalie's locked in her room. Something's wrong. I push through the crowd and use my key to open the door. Baby pulls her hand out of mine, and then she's gone.

I freeze and forget all about Baby when I see the blood. This is exactly why I'm not going to medical school like my dad wants. I'm still trying to get Rose to calm down and tell me where it hurts when my girl comes back with her dad. The first words out of his mouth are to ask who is responsible for Rose. She's practically my sister. I'm responsible. I should have protected her.

Baby's dad zeroes in on her hand in mine and glares at me. He tells us to wait outside for the ambulance. I can barely stand upright as they wheel Rose out on the stretcher. I feel so helpless. I feel like such a wimp. How does my dad deal with this stuff every day?

Baby's dad walks toward us with a hard look on his face. I put my hand out to thank him, but he keeps walking right past me. My girl follows him. I know they've got something to work out, so I go to my room and try to wrap my mind around everything that's going on.

A quiet knock on my door rouses me from my thoughts. I can't believe my eyes when Baby is standing there. It's embarrassing for her to see where I live, but she looks around and seems to admire my books. It seems like at my age, I should have more to show for my life than some great books and CDs.

Baby tries to apologize about her dad, but I can't let her do that. He stepped in and took care of Rosalie when I couldn't even think straight. I'm not a hero. I'm nobody. I try to explain to her how empty and unpredictable my life is, hoping she'll realize she's better off without me, yet also hoping she never figures that out. I should have known she would have faith in me because she only sees the good and the potential in people.

I try to tell her how brave she is, but she disagrees. "I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you," she says. Her admission shocks the heck out of me. I can't find the words to tell her I feel the same way, so I move over to my iPod to find a song that will show her how I feel. _The Time of My Life_ by Bill Medley. Perfect.

"Dance with me," she says. I pull her to me, and she wraps her hands around my neck, into my hair. I move to pull her shirt off and hesitate to see if she's going to stop me. She doesn't, so I pull it off, wrap my arms around my girl, and dance with her.

"Open your eyes, Baby," I say. I want to look into her deep brown eyes when I kiss her for the first time. She's so beautiful as I press my lips to hers.

Kissing her is unlike any kiss I've ever experienced.

DDitT

Jasper comes by early to tell me Rosalie was brought back this morning, so I get dressed and go check on her. Baby's there when I walk in. Rose knows me too well, and it only takes her a few seconds to know something is going on between us. When she realizes Rosalie knows about us, Baby blushes and goes outside.

As soon as the door closes behind her, Rose starts in on me. "Edward, what are you doing? You know I like Baby. She's done so much for me. But you know you can't get involved with a guest. You have a choice, and you're choosing wrong. You're going to lose your job." She acts like I don't already know this. She acts like I still have a choice. She doesn't know it's already too late for that.

"I can't stop. I'm just going to do what I want and let the chips fall where they may. As long as I'm going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly," I try to explain to her. Baby is more important than my job. I know I don't deserve her, but I'm not going to give her up.

I step out to the porch and tell Baby I have to get up to the Lodge for a lesson. She looks so scared, like I'm leaving forever. "I'll see you," I try to reassure her.

"Edward, wait," she calls after me. I turn around and smile at her. She hesitates then smiles back at me.

Looking into her beautiful brown eyes, I know everything is going to be okay.

DDitT

No one wants to be out in the rain, so I have the afternoon free. My song is starting to come together, but I happily put my guitar aside when Bella knocks on my door. I didn't think she'd be able to get away from her dad for a while.

"Have you had many women?" she asks me out of the blue. I wish I could read her mind. I never know what she's going to say. I've never met a girl who wants to know the answer to that question. I try to deflect her, but she just repeats the question.

Choosing my words carefully, I tell her about the women who threw themselves at me the last two summers. It was so flattering at first. She completely misunderstands and thinks I was using those women. "No. No. That's not it. That's the thing, Baby. It wasn't like that. They were using me," I try to make her see.

I must succeed because she leans up and kisses me. I could kiss Baby all day. I know I'm falling in love with this girl, so it's not right that I don't even know her name. "What's your real name, Baby?" I ask. Wait a minute. Did I just say 'love'?

"Isabella, but I like to be called Bella," she says shyly.

"That's a beautiful name." It fits her perfectly. Just like she fits me perfectly. I. Am. Such. A. Girl.

DDitT

Baby comes to the studio after my last appointment of the day. Even though I know her real name now, I still find myself calling her Baby – probably because everybody else does.

I just want to hold her close, but she's teasing me and pretending to practice the Mambo. We're messing around and crawling on the floor, and I'm finally going to get a kiss from her when Little Newton barges in. I grit my teeth when he offers to give her lessons. Lucky for him, he stops drooling over her and tells me why he's interrupting us.

He wants to try something new for the end of the season show this year. This is it. I finally get to play my own music and use the new moves the dancers have been working on. Little Newton cuts me off before I even get to the good part. "Whoa. Whoa. You're way over your head," he laughs. I should have known he wasn't ready for real change.

When Little Newton leaves, I slam the cover on the old stereo. My girl knows I need some fresh air, so we head out for a walk. She tries to talk me into standing up to him, but she just doesn't understand that I need this job. I'm not as brave as her. I know she doesn't understand what my life is like, so I tell her my mom called. I don't usually talk about my parents with anybody because I'm too embarrassed to admit my own father is ashamed of me.

Suddenly, Baby is grabbing my arm and pulling me down behind some bushes. She spotted her dad walking with her sister and Royce, and she's hiding from them. It seems she's not as brave as she acts. "Fight harder? I don't see you fighting so hard, Baby. I don't see you running up to Daddy telling him I'm your guy," I say.

She expects me to believe she'll tell him, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon.

"I don't believe you, Baby. I don't think that you ever had any intention of telling him – ever," I say, walking away.

There are so many conflicting thoughts bouncing around in my head, and I need to share them before they drive me crazy. I find myself sitting on Rosalie's couch, staring at the floor. She knows me well enough to know that I'll tell her what's on my mind when I'm ready. She doesn't push, and luckily, she doesn't say 'I told you so.'

While she waits for me to open up, Rose tells me about the paramedic she met, Emmett. He sounds like a good guy, but I'll need to meet him for myself to make sure. Nobody is going to get the chance to hurt Rose again.

I still haven't said anything to Rose by the time Baby knocks on the door. Rose pushes the door open so we can see each other, then walks away. Baby looks as bad as I feel. Deep inside, I know she isn't trying to hurt me, so I follow her outside and wait to see what she has to say for herself.

"I'm sorry," she says, kissing my shoulder.

Before I can respond, I hear Royce say, "Well, it looks like I picked the wrong sister. That's okay, Baby. I went slumming, too." It takes me a fraction of a second to catalogue all the problems with that statement. One, he's talking to my girl. Two, he wishes he picked my girl. Three, he's insulting Rosalie. Four, he's still breathing after what he did to Rose. Five, he's insulting me. I think there's more, but that's enough.

He hasn't even finished talking by the time I jump the rail and have him on the ground. It feels great to finally be allowed to punch him. I've been waiting so long for this. A crowd is gathering around, but it doesn't slow me down.

Suddenly, I remember Baby is watching me. I don't want her to see me like this. When she sees what an animal I am, she'll go running and screaming away from me. "Get out of here. You're not worth it," I spit out, shoving his face into the dirt one more time.

I walk over and stand in front of the railing Baby's leaning on, wrapping my arms around her and holding on tight. She needs to know I won't let anyone talk to her or about her like that. She's mine. "I feel very protective of you," I say. I need to focus on her and forget about going after Royce to finish what I started. "Please distract me so I don't go after him."

DDitT

I'm supposed to be finalizing Little Newton's songs for the final show, but I keep glancing over at Baby painting that palm tree. She has no idea there's paint on her nose. She's so cute. And she has no idea that she's driving me crazy in those denim shorts and that tiny tank top. It's nice to catch her looking at me a few times, too.

I hope Baby's not watching when Tanya leans in close and whispers, "This is our last night together. I've got something worked out for us." She's oblivious to the fact that I haven't come to her room once this summer. I sneak a peek at Bella, and luckily, she's concentrating on the tree.

When I walk over to tell Tanya's husband that his song is coming up, he hands me a wad of cash and tells me he'll be playing cards all night. The guy is flat out paying me to spend the night with his wife. I can't even wrap my mind around what a messed up marriage that is. My dad may not be speaking to me, but I have to admit he always provided an example of how a man is _supposed_ to treat his wife.

This situation needs to be dealt with now, before Baby hears anything. I can't believe I'm about to give up all this money, but that's _not_ the way I want to earn it. "I'm sorry, Mr. Denali," I begin, "but I'm booked up for the whole weekend, you know, with the show and everything, so I won't have time for anything else. I don't think it'd be fair to take the money." I see Tanya's eyes getting bigger and angrier with every word that comes out of my mouth, but I walk away before she can say anything.

DDitT

Baby comes to my room every night. I love holding her in my arms, but don't dare fall asleep because she can only stay for a few hours.

It's really been bothering me, and I know I need to tell her about the dream I had. I really want her dad to accept me. Maybe it's because my own father doesn't. Or maybe it's just because I've seen the way he accepts Royce and I'm jealous. Or maybe it's just because if he doesn't accept me, he might try to keep me away from Bella. "Last night, I dreamed we were walking along. We met your father. He put his arm around me, just like he did with Royce," I tell her, hoping she can hear how important this is to me.

She asks me to give her time to figure out how to work out their issues. I feel a lot more hopeful when she says, "I'll make him understand that we're a package deal."

"I'm glad to hear that because you're becoming like an addiction to me. You're my personal brand of heroin. I can't get enough of you," I admit. It feels great to tell her how I feel. I know. I'm such a girl.

DDitT

Why is it so bright in here? Oh, crap! I fell asleep. The sun is coming up and Baby is still here. I take a minute to look at her. Her shiny brown hair is spread out on my pillow. Her beautiful face is peaceful and relaxed. She has a small smile on her lips. I'd like to think I put it there.

I need to wake her up, so I rub my nose along her jaw and nuzzle her ear. She stirs against me and then sighs. I would love to enjoy the morning with her, but she needs to get back to her cabin. She finally wakes up when I shake her a little more forcefully.

Postponing her departure, I walk Baby out and kiss her on my porch. I don't want her to leave, but I finally let her go.

I'm so focused on her that I don't realize we're being watched.

DDitT

When I hear a knock at my door, my first assumption is that Baby was able to come back already. Old Man Newton is the last person I expect to see on my porch.

"Where were you between 1:00 and 4:00 this morning, Edward?" he asks me, not even bothering with a greeting. The obvious answer should be sleeping, but for some reason, I tell him I was reading. He looks skeptical as he leaves with no explanation. I have a really bad feeling about this.

Less than an hour later, Old Man Newton is back at my door with Little Newton in tow. This is definitely bad.

"Edward, you've violated the rule against fraternizing with a guest," Old Man Newton tells me. "While we were investigating an allegation that you had stolen a guest's wallet, we were informed that you had a guest in your room overnight." He obviously found out about Baby, but what does she have to do with a stolen wallet? "Based on these two issues, I have no choice but to let you go. If you leave willingly without causing any problems, you'll receive your bonus."

"Mr. Newton, I'm sorry, sir. But I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know anything about a stolen wallet." I'm hoping he won't notice I didn't deny the overnight visitor. "I'll be gone by tonight, but can you please tell me what's going on?"

Old Man Newton tells me Tanya Denali is accusing me of stealing her husband's wallet, and they are still trying to gather all the information. I can't believe she's doing this just because I turned her down. What a spiteful witch. If I didn't already find her disgusting, I would now.

Little Newton fills me in on the conversation that took place at breakfast. He curls his lip when he gets to the part about Baby admitting that she was in my room. My mouth falls open in shock. She did it. It sounds like she didn't really mean to, but she told her dad that I'm her guy. As thrilled as I am that she finally claimed me as hers, I know that I need to find her because she is probably in a lot of trouble right now.

Baby's cabin is empty and she's not at Rosalie's or Jasper's. As I'm checking the main Lodge, Old Man Newton stops me to tell me that Baby's dad verified that the Laurents stole the wallets. I'm happy to be cleared of that accusation, but still out of a job.

I finally check the boat house, finding Baby asleep on a hammock. She's so happy to hear that the Laurents were arrested that I hate to tell her I still got fired. She's furious, thinking it's all her fault. She doesn't realize I wouldn't trade one second of my time with her to have this crappy job back.

"No. No. Not for nothing, Baby. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before," I tell her. She goes from furious to defeated in seconds. Her shoulders slump forward, her eyes lose their fire. I hate knowing that I'm about to hurt her even more.

"Baby, do you want to keep me company while I pack?" I ask quietly, trying to get her to meet my eyes.

We walk into my room, and she sits on my bed, staring at the floor. I know she needs time to think, so I pull out my suitcases and shove my clothes in. Next, I start packing my CDs and books. I'm lucky I still have my empty boxes.

The third box is almost full when she breaks the silence. "Where will you go?" she asks.

I have to be honest with her – I have no idea where I'm headed. "I have enough money for a few days in hotels," I begin. But I'm tired of this life. I'm 20 years old. I need something more. I don't know how to accomplish this or how to tell Baby about it, so I keep it to myself.

"Baby, you have so many exciting plans for yourself. You and Alice are going to UDub. I don't even have a job. I can't ask you to wait around for me," I try to explain. I leave out the part about not being good enough for her. She's bound to figure that out on her own. I can't tag along after her and be a witness to the look on her face when she finally realizes I'm holding her back. To protect myself from heartbreak, I need to let her go.

"Look, Baby, we'll keep in touch. Everything will work out," I lie, knowing I need to let her move on. I close the last box, and she helps me carry them to my car.

"I can't imagine being here without you even one day," she says, leaning against my fender. I tease her about having more fun without me, but she knows my smile isn't real.

"I'll never be sorry," I tell her. More than anything else, I need her to know this.

"I'm coming with you," she says suddenly. Oh, no. I can't let her throw away her future on a drifter like me.

I already told her she's better off without me. The last thing I want to do is hurt her, but apparently I need to be more direct. "I don't want you to come with me. Baby, we've talked about this," I say. I remind her again of the plans she had before I came into her life.

The words I just said to her slowly sink into my brain. If she told me she didn't _want_ me to come with her, I would be devastated. There's no way she can feel as strongly for me as I do for her. She'll get over me once she meets someone better at college. Just in case I'm wrong, I need to make sure she doesn't do anything crazy. "Promise me something. Don't do anything reckless," I beg her, pulling her against me for the last time.

Then I do the hardest thing I've done in all of my 20 years – I get in my car and drive away from the most amazing girl I'll ever meet.

DDitT

Four hours later, I pull into an old hotel in downtown Seattle. It's so cheap that I'll be able to stay longer than I expected. It's so rundown that I wish I didn't have to. For most of the night, I stare at the ceiling and think about Bella. Now that I'm away from her, her real name is all I can think about. Her face is all I can see when I close my eyes. Her voice is all I can hear when the traffic outside finally fades away.

When I wake up, I'm still exhausted. There's no reason to get out of bed. My body feels like there is no purpose to anything anymore. I want to stay here all day, but somewhere inside of me, I know that if I ever hope to deserve Bella, I need to get busy.

Whatever I'm looking for should be in the downtown area, so I shower and head out on foot. I stick my head inside a few restaurants to ask if they're hiring entertainers, but none are. Legally, I can't work in any bars until next June. At the end of the day, I drag myself back to the hotel and fall asleep quickly.

Almost every day, I pull up Bella's number and hover my finger over the send button. But I don't want to call her until I can give her good news.

It's been over a week. I still have no job prospects, and I'm quickly running out of money. My chances of ever being good enough for Bella seem to be decreasing every day. Once she leaves the Lodge and heads off to college, she'll forget about me. Even though I know I should allow her to have a clean break, the selfish side of me needs to hear her voice one more time. I smile as I finally allow myself to push the send button, but it goes to voicemail. "Hi, Bella. I wanted to let you know I haven't found a job yet. I don't know where I'm going. And I know you'll be leaving soon. I miss you. Bye." I hang up, and flop back against my pillow. I barely got to hear her voice. If I could remember how to block my caller ID, I would call back a few times just to hear her outgoing message.

DDitT

Sometime in the middle of the night, I wake up in a cold sweat. I don't remember what happened in my dream, but I know I can't let Bella go. I need to talk to her before she leaves the Lodge tomorrow. Once she gets to her dad's house and starts making plans for her move to Seattle, it might be too late. I know that's not really true because I still have her phone number, but I need to see her. Now.

It's already 10:47. I covered a lot of ground yesterday, but I haven't slept this late in a long time. I guess it finally caught up with me. Okay. I need to get moving if I'm going to shower and shave before I see Bella. I reach into my suitcase for some jeans and head to the bathroom.

First I have to check out because I don't know if I'll be coming back tonight, and I can't afford to pay for the room if I'm not even going to use it. It takes me a few minutes to pack up the few things I had brought in from my car. At noon, I'm finally on the road. Less than three blocks later, my stomach starts growling, reminding me that I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. A quick snack and I'm finally on the road.

Traffic is heavier than usual, even for a Saturday. The I-5 is so backed up that it takes me almost an hour to cover what should have taken ten minutes. I finally pass the accident and take the exit to the Edmonds Ferry terminal. In keeping with my horrible luck today, a ferry just left, so it'll be almost an hour 'til the next one leaves.

If I was a superstitious person, I would be worried right now. Nothing is going to stop me from getting to Bella. I don't want to jinx anything, but I can't help but wonder what else could possibly go wrong.

It's almost 6:00 by the time I finally exit the ferry. At this rate, I'll be lucky to make the show at all. It's a good thing I like to drive fast. It's also a good thing that my luck seems to change and there's no traffic on the 101.

Now that I'm getting close, I start to get nervous. All of the reasons that I wanted Bella to move on are still valid, but they're not enough to stop me anymore. I need to be with her. I don't know what I'm going to do about her dad, but I'm not going to let him keep us apart. Yeah, I'm such a girl – and I don't even care right now.

I'm not going to let the Newtons keep us apart either. She was right – I should have fought harder. Not about the music, but for my job. Bella coming to my room is no different than what most of the waiters did. Actually, it's better because I actually have feelings for her. I shouldn't have left without a fight. I should be in charge of tonight's show.

That's when it hits me. I'm going to walk into the Lodge and finish the show the way it should have been done.

My friends are surprised and happy to see me, but I don't slow down to talk. I need to find Bella. Then I need to show Little Newton what a real show looks like.

Scanning the entire room, I spot Bella sitting at a table with her parents. I don't have time to address her dad right now. That's a conversation for another day – a day when we have a lot of time.

"Nobody puts Bella in a corner," I say, reaching for her. "Come on." As soon as she puts her little hand in mine, I know I made the right decision for me. I'm too selfish to do what might be best for her. "I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore," I admit.

"Then don't," she says. Somehow those two words let me know that she doesn't blame me for my weakness.

Leading Bella up onto the stage, I give Jasper my iPod, noticing the small, dark haired girl practically bouncing at his side. I've never seen her before, but she seems to know Bella.

Bella walks out to center stage and watches me stalk toward her. I apologize to the crowd for interrupting the show and then signal Jasper. The lights dim and our song starts. Everything else fades away when I have my girl back in my arms where she belongs. We dance together like we've done it a million times. I kiss her on the nose and jump off the stage to get the other dancers, who follow me up the aisle just like we practiced. I stop and look at Bella, tilting my head, wondering if she's ready for a lift. She nods at me, so Eric and Tyler lift her off the stage, and she runs straight into my arms for a perfect lift.

I barely take my eyes off Bella, but I notice a few things going on around me. I see everyone else dancing. I see Tanya Denali stomp out of the room. I see Old Man Newton talking to Jasper about the music. I see Bella's dad walking fast to get to us before we reach the hallway. When he reaches us, he puts his hand on my arm and says, "I know you weren't the one who got Rosalie in trouble."

I'm happy he finally realizes this, but that still doesn't mean he thinks I'm good enough for Bella. It's ironic that I don't think I'm good enough for her, but I want him to think so. "Yeah…" I say, hoping he'll continue.

"When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong," he says. Well, it's not an arm around my shoulder, but it's a start. He turns to Bella and says, "You looked wonderful out there, Bella." The look on his face reminds me that we have something in common – we both love this girl. For her, we'll find a way to get along.

She hugs her dad and then turns back to me. I wonder if she knows I chose this song just for her because it reminds me of the first time we were together. I quietly sing the chorus to her to make sure she does.


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or Dirty Dancing. I just happen to be a sucker for 'Happily Ever After.'**

Dirty Dancing in the Twilight

Epilogue – Part Two

EPOV

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Three months ago, I met Bella. That month – falling in love with her, trying to leave her for her own good, and finally realizing I can't live without her – was the most _intense_ month of my life, but the most _surprising_ months of my life came next…

The end of the season show lasts until the wee hours of the morning because everyone is having so much fun learning new dance moves and enjoying the music Jasper and I chose. Eventually I have to think about where I'm going to spend the night. I know Bella will be going back to her cabin with her family, and I debate between crashing on Jasper's couch and sleeping in my car.

"Edward," Old Man Newton calls out to me. "I'm really impressed with the way you've updated this show. It's time for the Lodge to get with the times. I would like to offer you a permanent position. Of course, I can't condone having a guest in your quarters, so I would still need to write you up for that."

"Mr. Newton, can I have a few days to consider your offer?" I ask.

"Yes. Just let me know by the end of the month. In the meantime, you're welcome to sleep in your old cabin," he tells me, though he's clearly shocked that I haven't accepted immediately.

I walk Bella back to her cabin and tell her I'll see her in the morning. Alone in my own bed, I stay awake for several hours examining my life, trying to decide what I want to _do_. I need to be able to support myself and someday, hopefully, Bella. I know how to dance and give dance lessons, but I don't want to do that for a living. I could give music lessons, but that will be hard to make a good living at. I want to play and write music, but that's not an easy industry to break into. It would require a lot of hard work and luck to impress the right people. Obviously, I need a backup plan. If music can't pay the bills, I'll need an education to fall back on. A degree in business might even help with my music career. It all makes sense, but I can't believe I'm going to school. With that thought rattling around my head, I finally fall asleep.

After just a few hours of sleep, I need to get up and find Bella because I know they're leaving soon. I find them in the Lodge finishing breakfast. To get some alone time so I can tell her about my plans, I walk her back to her cabin to help her pack.

"Bella, I know you're going to spend the next month and a half in Forks with your dad. I'm heading back to Seattle. There are some things I need to arrange," I begin.

"What's going on?" she asks.

"I've decided to enroll at UDub. I want to study music, but I know I need to have something more practical in case that doesn't work out, so I'm also going to study business. I'll be crashing with Jasper at his parents' house until I can find a job and save up some money."

"When will I see you again?" she mutters.

"Hey," I say, lifting her chin so she'll look at me. "Soon. I promise. I tried to stay away from you. It didn't work out so well for either of us. You are my life now, Bella. I'll come visit you at your dad's, and you and Alice will be in Seattle before we know it," I say.

Since I need to know where Charlie lives, Bella and Alice ride to Forks with me and Jasper. We help them get settled and visit for a while, but it's a long drive back to Seattle, so even though all four of us are miserable, Jasper and I head out with promises to come back soon. My cell phone buzzes before we even leave the town limits.

**I miss you already. Drive safe - B**

The closer we get to Seattle, the more nervous I feel about crashing at my aunt and uncle's. I haven't seen them in years, and I don't want to impose, but I should have known better. As soon as we pull into the driveway, Aunt Jane is out the front door and welcoming us both with open arms. She immediately pulls us inside and sets food in front of us as Uncle Alec walks into the kitchen.

"Edward, we're thrilled that you've come to stay with us. Jasper told me you've decided to go to school. We want you to know that you are welcome to stay here as long as you need. You just focus on school and don't worry about finding an apartment right now. You're family, and you belong here," Uncle Alec says.

DDitT

Bright and early Monday morning, I'm at the UDub Admissions Office registering for classes. Luckily, I made the deadline for Fall semester. It feels like I'm signing my life away with all of the financial aid forms, but there's no other way I can afford this.

As I'm turning to leave, the girl behind the counter says, "You know, since you're a Music major, you might want to check out the campus radio station, KEXP. I hear they're looking for a DJ."

"Thanks," I tell her. Why had I never thought of a radio station? The station on campus won't pay, but it's a great way to get experience, then I can apply at a real station. I ask her for directions and head straight over there. As soon as I walk in I can tell it's a laid back place, and I can see myself here.

There's only one person working, so I wait for him to finish talking and start the next song. He comes out to the lobby and says, "Hey, I'm Ben. What can I help you with?"

"I'm Edward. I hear you're looking for a DJ," I tell him.

"Any experience?"

"No. I play guitar and write some music, but no DJ experience," I respond.

"Edward, I have a good feeling about you. Let's give it a shot and see how it works out," Ben says. "Come back around 4:00 tomorrow."

I thank him and head outside to send a text to Bella.

**I'm the newest DJ at UDub's KEXP. Miss you. –E**

DDitT

It's been almost two weeks since I've seen Bella. I can't believe how much I think about her. We text each other several times a day and talk every night, but it's not the same as holding her in my arms. The one nice thing about the distance is that we have really gotten to know each other. We have "what's your favorite…" text sessions where we ask each other random favorites from ice cream flavors to colors to holidays to movies and on and on.

Early Saturday morning, Jasper and I leave for Forks. We can only stay one night because we don't have much money for two nights in the hotel room, but it's better than not seeing the girls at all. I can't wait 'til they move to Seattle next month.

We can't just sit around the house with Charlie watching us, so we decide to go for a hike. We walk through the woods for what seems like hours and suddenly wander into a meadow. It reminds me of the place where Bella and I practiced lifts at Beaver Lake, and from the look on her face, I can tell she's thinking the same thing.

Sunday morning we all drive to La Push to hang out at the beach. When Bella offers to show us the tidepools, she manages to slip and fall in. She doesn't think it's nearly as funny as Jasper, Alice and I do. I really do try not to laugh too hard, but she eventually starts cracking up with us. After all, she can't help that she's clumsy, but there's no point trying to pretend it's not true.

Before we know it, and way sooner than we're ready, it's time for Jasper and I to head back to Seattle with promises to come back in a few weeks.

DDitT

Working at KEXP is more boring than I expected. To pass the time, I record a few notes on my guitar to use as background music while I'm talking and for intros to songs and advertisements. The more time I have, the more creative I get, changing the notes to reflect the product or the upcoming song. It isn't much, but it helps me beat the boredom. When Ben and a couple of the other DJs notice what I've done, they ask me to come up with songs for them, too. It helps pass the time.

DDitT

I've noticed that Aunt Jane casually finds a way to talk about my dad more and more. She's trying to get me to call him, but that's not going to happen. Although, I do feel guilty for not letting my mom know I'm in town, so I call her when I know Dad won't be there.

"Hello?" she picks up after three rings.

I pause for a minute, wishing I knew what I wanted to say. "Hey, Mom." It's better than hanging up.

"Edward!" she sounds so happy to hear from me. It turns out I didn't need to worry about what to say because Mom barely stops talking long enough for me to get a word in. She finally pauses and says, "So what's new with you?"

I can tell it hurts her feelings when I tell her that I'm staying with Aunt Jane, but she knows I don't have much of a choice. I haven't talked to Dad in almost two years, so there's no way I would expect to stay with them. "I enrolled at UDub for the fall. I'm going to study music," I tell her.

I hear her gasp. Then silence. Then more silence.

"Mom, did you hear me?" I ask.

"Yes, Edward. I heard you. I'm so proud of you," she says, her voice breaking.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Edward. Can you meet me for lunch tomorrow?"

"Sure, Mom." That's weird. I wonder why she needs to go so suddenly. She tells me the name of the place where she wants to meet, and we hang up.

DDitT

At noon, I walk into Solar Eclipse. When I round the corner, I see my mom is not alone at the table. My first instinct is to leave, but I decide this is the first challenge in my road to becoming a responsible adult. I take a seat and greet them both as politely as possible. There is an awkward silence for a few minutes, and I'm beginning to wonder if it was a mistake to stay.

Suddenly, my dad starts speaking. "Edward, I owe you an apology." Whoa. That's unexpected. "It was never my intention to make you feel like a failure. I admit I have been extremely disappointed in some choices you've made, but I need you to understand that I was only disappointed in your lack of direction and ambition. Your desire to be a musician instead of a doctor has never mattered to me, and I didn't realize you thought it did, but I had a very enlightening conversation with my sister this morning. She told me she overheard you and Jasper talking. Your aunt also told me you enrolled at UDub. You might not believe this, but I'm really proud of you." He takes my stunned silence as an invitation to continue. "Edward, we invited you to lunch today to talk about your trust fund. You were so angry that you never let me explain some things. The condition placed by your grandfather was that you only have access to the trust fund if you are enrolled in or have completed college. So I called my attorney this morning and reinstated your access."

It takes several minutes for me to wrap my mind around what he said. Even then, I was at a loss for words. "Thanks, Dad. I'm not really sure what to say. I guess I owe you an apology for leaving and not giving you a chance to explain anything."

I know we have a long way to go, but it's a start. I leave lunch feeling more comfortable with my parents than I have in years. I can't wait to tell Bella about this, but I decide not to tell her about the trust fund. I'll surprise her with that.

DDitT

"Hello?" I answer, not recognizing the incoming number.

"Mr. Cullen?" a male voice asks.

"Yes."

"Mr. Cullen, my name is Benjamin Amun. Siobhan Liam, the station manager at KUBE, is an old friend of mine. We met back when I was the musical coordinator for Earth, Wind and Fire. She called me a few days ago to tell me about a local songwriting talent."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," I admit.

"Mr. Cullen, I am an agent representing production music writers," he says in a tone that implies I should know what that means.

"I'm sorry, but I'm still not sure what you're talking about."

"I work with several television and radio stations in the Los Angeles area. I help them find musicians to compose anything from advertising jingles to sitcom introductions to video game backgrounds. I've been listening to your station, and I spoke to Ben, who told me you are the person I need to speak to. Mr. Cullen, I would like to represent you."

My legs give out, and I find myself sitting on the arm of the couch. I can't believe this. I must have done something really great in another life because everything in this life is coming together better than I could have ever dreamed.

"What exactly does that involve, Mr. Amun?" I ask.

"Well, I'd like to meet with you to hammer out the final details, but the way it usually works is that I contact you whenever I have a customer in need of a new composition. You are not required to relocate to Los Angeles. In fact, there's really no need for that. If what I've heard so far is an accurate indication of your talent, I expect to be able to offer you at least twenty orders a month. It's up to you how many you want to accept. The pay varies, but that should earn you approximately $10,000 a month."

"I'm very interested, sir. When would you like to meet?" I say.

We make plans to meet for breakfast the next day. As soon as we hang up, I call Bella to tell her my news. Jasper and I will be there this weekend, but this news can't wait.

DDitT

The drive to Forks doesn't seem as long this time as it has the last two times we've come to visit. Maybe it's because Jasper and I are finally picking up the girls for their move to Seattle. No more two weeks with nothing but daily phone calls and texts. No more three hour drives to see my girl. Bella and Alice will be in the dorms not too far from Jasper's house.

On the drive back to Seattle, Alice and Jasper are in the back seat, oblivious to our presence. I decide this is the time to tell Bella about my trust fund.

"Bella, there's something I need to tell you. It's nothing bad," I say quickly when I see her start to panic. "I told you that I've been talking to my parents again, but I didn't tell you that they've reinstated my access to my trust fund," I begin.

She looks as shocked as I was when my dad told me, so I continue. "You know my contract with Benjamin is going really well and keeping me busy. Since I don't have to worry about moving for this job, I've decided to buy a house. At first I thought I would surprise you, but I found one that I really like, and I realized that I want your opinion, too. It's close to the campus, which is great. It has a room that will work perfectly as a music room, and there's still a room for Jasper. He's going to move in with me since he can't afford a place of his own yet."

"Edward, that's great. I'd love to look at the house with you," she finally says.

DDitT

And that brings us to tonight. It's my girl's 18th birthday. Some people may think it's too soon, but I know there will never be another for me. My life is going in the right direction, and I finally feel like I deserve her. Last week when I was in Forks to help Bella move, I pulled Charlie aside and asked for his permission to ask Bella to marry me. It's a little old-fashioned, but I feel like I need to do whatever I can to improve his impression of me. This morning, I met Mom for breakfast to get my grandmother's wedding ring. I pat my pocket every few minutes to reassure myself that it's still there.

Bella looks absolutely gorgeous when she opens her dorm door. She's wearing a dark blue dress that wraps around her beautiful body and hugs her in all the right places. My girl is wearing high heels. I smile, knowing Alice must have dressed her.

We arrive at Serafina, where I reserved a secluded booth overlooking the water. There's no way I'll be able to wait until we're finished eating, so as soon as the waiter takes our order, I slide out of the booth and onto one knee. Bella looks confused for a split second before her mouth falls open and a blush colors her cheeks.

"Isabella Swan, I promise to love you every day of forever. Will you do me the extreme honor of being my wife?" I say, trying to keep my voice even.

Bella doesn't even hesitate. She launches herself into my arms, practically knocking me over. "Yes! Yes!"

"Dance with me," I say, standing up and offering her my hand. Bella puts her tiny hand in mine, and I lead her to the rooftop terrace, nodding to the DJ as we head to the dance floor. Bella giggles when she hears the opening notes of The Time of My Life. I put my hand on her waist and pull her tight against me. This is our song, so my girl and I are dirty dancing in the twilight.

a/n – Thanks for reading!


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